RENOVATION work is set to begin at Poole’s main shopping mall as its new owners take the first steps towards creating a regional centre.

Dutch property giant Wereldhave announced its £85million purchase of the Dolphin Centre in December and declared its intention to turn it into one of the south’s top shopping destinations.

With grand plans in the pipeline, including bigger shops and new restaurants, the company is set to start by modernising the existing centre.

Areas to be targeted in the initial wave of work include signage, lighting, escalators and introducing double-height windows in many shops.

Andrew Turton, managing director of Wereldhave, said: “We are pulling together initial proposals that will help to modernise and rejuvenate the centre in order to attract exciting new retail brands and better meet the needs of Poole’s discerning shoppers.”

Representatives from Wereldhave have been visiting the Dolphin Centre on a regular basis and are looking to improve the original building before settling on any extensions.

A timeframe for development is expected to be laid out in the coming months.

Wereldhave said they hoped to build on the 500,000 sq ft centre’s current offering with “new fashion and leisure fascias”.

The Dolphin Centre currently attracts 2.3million visitors a year.

The new owners said they wanted the mall to act as a “strong retail draw” from the west of Dorset.

A project team, including letting agents and architects, has been formed to draw up the plans for the initial phase of improvements to the shopping centre.