Landlord’s injection of imagination on Kingland Crescent helps independent retailers thrive – and offers a template for other high streets

Tim Greenslade lives close to Kingland Crescent in Poole town centre but it was the sort of street he used to make a point of steering clear of. “It was dead and depressing,” he said. “We’d avoid it at all costs.”

It is very different now. Thanks to a scheme aimed at reimagining down-at-heel town centre streets, there are a string of thriving independent shops, including Greenslade’s fishmongers, on Kingland. “It’s a brilliant community,” he said.

The row of 10 shops has revived after a project launched by the landlord LGIM (Legal & General Investment Management) Real Assets in 2021 to find ambitious local entrepreneurs and offer them space free of rent and business rates for two years.

When the Guardian visited the Dorset town this week, Greenslade was doing brisk business selling locally caught cockles, clams, sole, plaice, bass and lobsters to local people and tourists.

Customers flitted in and out of other shops such as Boiler Room Records, the Viper cocktail bar and the Titanium Flower jewellery shop, while a busker played in the sunshine.

“The scheme gave me a chance to see if my business could work here without so much pressure,” said Jon Rowe, 35. For years he ran a mobile cafe from a converted Land Rover but was able to give a bricks and mortar-based business a try.

It has turned out well. Grounded Coffee on Kingland now employs six people, roasts coffee for other shops (the aroma of its Sweet Breeze blend was wafting over the street) and is aiming to expand.

Of the 10 original businesses that launched, six remain. For various reasons, a cafe, zero waste shop, art store and perfumery have moved on but they have been replaced by newcomers drawn to the bustle. Only one unit is empty but is to become a toy shop soon.

It has meant new careers for some. Hope Dean, the owner of house plant emporium Wild Roots, lost her job in event management during Covid. “I always wanted to work in plants and this was my chance,” she said.

Her aim is to pair the customer with the ideal plant. “I try to never sell someone the wrong plant,” she said. “There’s nothing worse than taking a plant home and having it die on you. I match people with the plant that will suit them and their lifestyle.”

Born and bred in Poole, Dean, 29, said she, too, used to avoid Kingland Crescent. “It was a dirty, funny walkway with boarded-up shops. Now it’s vibrant, upbeat, colourful.”

Legal & General says its model is not just about handing over the keys to shops and letting people get on with it. It offers mentoring sessions and legal advice as well as generous financial offers. And now the two-year rent-free period is over, it has not whacked up prices but makes sure it keeps the shops affordable for the businesses.

The figures look impressive. After the new shops opened there was a 16% increase in footfall on the street compared with pre-Covid levels. Average turnover per unit this spring increased by 36% against last.

Kingland is also drawing more people into the nearby Dolphin shopping centre, which Legal & General also owns. The company says the presence of the 10 independents has generated an additional £2.2m for the centre with footfall higher than pre-pandemic levels, bucking the national trend.

There are other reasons to head to the Dolphin. NHS services and adult education services are being offered there, and there are market stores for microtraders and event spaces used by artists to fitness instructors.

Brownsea House, a former jobcentre linked to the shopping centre, has been converted into Foundry, a sleek co-working space with desk space, offices and studios.

The idea here is to hang on to workers who used to commute out of Poole every day for larger cities such as Bristol, Southampton and London. Foundry has only just opened but already translators, tech firms and podcast creators are based there. It means more younger people, with money to spend, are staying in Poole for the working day, helping keep businesses such as those on Kingland Crescent buzzing.

Business owners and shoppers agree that Poole needed an injection of imagination. Though the town has one of the most expensive chunks of real estate in Britain – Sandbanks – it can sometimes feel like a poor relation to its glitzier neighbour, Bournemouth.

The plan from Legal & General now is to transfer what it has learned from Kingland to other high streets, retail parks and the ground floor of residential developments, tailoring the model to towns’ individual needs.

Steve Wyatt, 46, owner of Restored Retro on Kingland, which refurbishes 1960s and 70s furniture, used to love visiting high streets with his mother. “There was a greengrocers, a fishmongers, an electric shop,” he said. “All that seemed to vanish. But here we’re recreating that sense of community and turned the high street back into a destination again. This is a great place to be.”

DORCHESTER Town manager Tom Killick rued “incorrect” big decisions as his long-awaited reunion with former club Poole Town ended in a 2-1 defeat at the Avenue Stadium.

Poole dominated the first half and deservedly led 2-0 when Toby Holmes headed Matt Tubbs' side in front against his former employers before Corby Moore’s own goal.

Dorchester rallied in the second half and appeared unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when Will Spetch sustained a heavy challenge in the area.

And Dorchester were further perturbed when Olaf Koszela’s close-range finish was overturned for offside, despite a Poole player appearing to be in front of him.

READ MORE: Dorchester Town 1-2 Poole Town - report

Spetch’s late goal fanned the flames of a fervent atmosphere generated by 1,615 fans, but the Magpies’ faithful went home disappointed after Lloyd Thomas saved Shaq Gwengwe’s last-ditch penalty.

Dorchester are now in 20th and have only won 11 matches in 2023. Killick, though, had cause for complaint in the second half.

Assessing a costly first half and the controversial moments, he told Echosport: “First half I thought we were terrible.

“Considering it’s a local derby and a game people have been looking forward to for a while, I thought we were very below par physically.

“We just didn’t have any proper physicality or aggression about us. The goals we conceded were unbelievably soft.

“As bad as we’ve been in the first half, I knew if we rallied and scored a goal, I did feel the game would change.

“We felt their mentality was such that if we scored and got back into it they’d find it very difficult.

“That’s how it proved. They became very flaky and we were dominating. Then, we feel gutted with the penalty we’ve missed at the end.”

On the big decisions, he added: “We’re exceptionally aggrieved by the decisions that came before that. Everyone in the ground can see that the first one is a penalty.

“That would just give us a bit longer to chase the next goal. I’m proud of how they played in the second half, very disappointed with the first half showing.

“Once again, there’s been some very incorrect big decisions again.

“To be fair, the first penalty, I looked at the referee. He had a lot of people in his way but their linesman’s looking straight at it.

“He’s got the gumption to flag and disallow the goal but clearly the penalty he’s not prepared to get involved.

“Again, for the goal he’s disallowed you can see there’s a player on the line. It’s not offside.

“When it’s that clearly wrong and he puts his flag up, if he’s not sure, he shouldn’t be giving it. To put his flag up when it’s so clearly wrong is unbelievably disappointing.

“I felt sorry for the ref from that point of view, it’s the linesman’s errors on both occasions.

“Once again, we can’t dwell on it. We’ve paid the price for a very poor first half.”

POOLE Town will play a home fixture at Dorchester Town this weekend, due to ongoing pitch concerns at BlackGold Stadium.

Dolphins have slipped into a relegation battle in the Southern League Premier South, after a woeful run of 13 losses in their last 15 matches.

They have six games remaining, five of which were due to be staged at Tatnam Farm.

However, it has now been announced they will take on Merthyr Town at The Avenue on the artificial pitch this Saturday instead.

A statement from Poole read: “Due the wet and persistent bad weather the club have decided to switch our home match venue to Dorchester Town this Saturday, April 6.

“All the same arrangements as per any home match - turnstile and bar will be open at 1.30pm with a 3pm kick-off.

“We hope our fans will make the short journey to support the lads as this will be very much needed at the business end of the season.”

Dorchester, managed by Tom Killick, who was sacked by Poole this season, have recently leapfrogged the Dolphins in the standings. They play away at Hayes & Yeading United this weekend.

Steve Tully’s Poole sit 15th, just three points above the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, Dolphins have withdrawn from the Dorset Senior Cup.

They were due to travel to Shaftesbury in the semi-finals, having overcome Wimborne Town in the last eight.

A statement from Poole, who won the competition last year, read: “It is with great regret that the club has felt it essential to withdraw from the DSC semi-final v Shaftesbury.

“We have done this with the greatest of reluctance but we felt we had to prioritise the need to pick up league points and given the ongoing relentless rain and the risk of further postponements a decision was needed.

“We offered to play the game on the evening of Tuesday, April 9, the same day as the Winchester (league) game at the Black Gold and would have fielded a side from our u23 squad but that was not acceptable to the County FA.

“We offered to play the game on a Thursday when we could have fielded a side along the same mix as played so well in beating Wimborne in the last round but unfortunately Tuesdays are the only night when the ground is available to Shaftesbury.

“We were not prepared to play on a Tuesday, which would have meant us postponing a league fixture and having then to play it on a Thursday and again two days later with all the obvious issues inherent in that. Our league position is just too important.

“We felt were left with no choice. We really did try hard to find an answer.”

Shaftesbury will now move through to play Hamworthy Recreation in the final.

Meanwhile this Saturday, Wimborne Town continue their title push with a home game against Paulton Rovers (3pm).

POOLE Town have confirmed former Weymouth full-back Steve Tully as their new permanent manager.

Yesterday, Poole brought interim boss James Ellis’ time in charge at BlackGold Stadium to a premature end.

After the departure of Matt Tubbs at the end of February following a run of seven straight defeats, Ellis managed one league victory during his six-game tenure.

With Dolphins now four points above the relegation zone, Poole have accelerated the process of hiring a new manager.

READ MORE: Steve Tully eyes manager job after Bristol Rovers spell

Tully was previously player-manager of Truro City between 2014 and 2016, and played locally for five seasons with Weymouth.

He helped Truro avoid relegation from the seventh tier, before earning promotion to what is now the National South.

In his first season in the sixth tier he led Truro to a play-off finish of fourth place, before it was decided for his contract not to be renewed.

Aside from making more than 200 appearances for the Terras, Tully also had a long career in the Football League for Devon clubs Exeter City and Torquay United.

The 43-year-old captained Exeter, playing over 200 times for the Grecians.

Since he has had coaching spells in the academies of Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City, before moving on to become under-18s manager of Bristol Rovers.

During his time with the Gas, Tully also briefly served as assistant manager to Matt Taylor.

Tully becomes Poole’s fourth manager of the season, following the sacking of legendary manager Tom Killick just a month into the campaign.

Killick’s replacement, Tubbs, lasted just six months before resigning, with his first team coach Ellis taking the reins until the end of the season.

However, after another heavy loss, defeated by formless Sholing 3-0 at home, it was decided that a permanent managerial appointment was needed before the summer.

He will be joined in the dugout by Luke Burbidge as assistant-manager, the former winger featuring 251 times for Poole Town across multiple spells.

As well as managing Poole’s under-21s, Burbidge was joint manager of Wessex Premier League Shaftesbury earlier this campaign.

Tully’s first game in charge comes this evening, when Poole welcome Hungerford Town to Tatnam Farm (7.45pm).

WIMBORNE Town boss Tim Sills admitted that his side’s title charge took priority over the Dorset Senior Cup after a youthful Magpies team were knocked out by reigning champions Poole Town.

Played out on the New Cuthbury 3G, both teams took the opportunity to play younger players as goals from Toby Holmes and Harvey Wright outweighed Jack Hoey’s strike in a 2-1 Poole win.

Whilst Poole arguably have little to play for as the Southern League Premier South comes to a close, in the division below Wimborne are locked in a title battle.

Sills’ charges are currently four points clear at the summit of the Southern League Division One South with eight games remaining.

Discussing the cup tie, Sills told the Daily Echo: “We packed the team with (younger players), which is great.

“We had four of our lads who needed the minutes and it was great to see the boys come in who have either been on the cusp of it or have impressed in the reserves this season.

“So nice to see them really get a good run out in a really competitive game.

“A good one for the neutral as well.

“Lots of positives to take away – and not absolutely devastated with being out of it, if we're being honest.”

Poole and Wimborne were not the only sides to play youth players in the competition this season; Magpies reaching the quarter-finals after dispatching a young Weymouth side in the last round.

Asked if the Dorset Senior Cup had lost its shine, Sills replied: “It's a tough one because it's not a bad competition to win.

“I've won it a couple of times with Weymouth as a player.

“So it does have its place.

“But the way, especially with the Weymouth game, it dragged on and how many times it was postponed, it suddenly was getting towards the business end of the season.

“And yes, there are other priorities that take place over it - you've got your big competitions at the start of the season.

“It's a shame.

“I would have liked to have played a stronger squad, but we've got to protect our lads going into eight massive games now in the league, so that will always be the priority.”