Steve Wells from DWP Housing Partnership, centre, with businesspeople based in Christchurch Road, Boscombe.
A row of retail units in Boscombe built by DWP Housing Partnership is now completely occupied – and boosting the local economy.
The development also included 51 residential apartments which were snapped up earlier in the year, and now the commercial element is thriving too.
The businesses include a board game café, chiropractic clinic, bicycle sales and repair shop, gift shop, martial arts studio and hair and beauty salon.
Boutique hair and beauty salon – Matt Krol and Lichia Prasinska
GB Academy of Martial Arts – Gary Baker (right) and Mark Smith
Guasti and Co: Bianca and Mauro Guasti (brother and sister)
Renovatio Bikes – Daniel and Cesar Mateus (in the pic) and third brother Paulo is part of the team
The Back Pain Centre – John and Klaudia Bradford
Coffee and Dice cafe – John Lawrie
Dorset’s biggest private landlord invested £4.5m in the scheme that took 24 months to complete.
The existing block in Christchurch Road was completely pulled down and rebuilt with large retail units at street level.
Steve Wells from DWP Housing Partnership said: “Although we are well known as a residential landlord we have a growing commercial element to the business.
“When we decided to rebuild this block we wanted to include commercial units which were large and fit for purpose.
“Every one of them is now occupied and doing well. There is a lot of footfall in the area and these businesspeople are taking advantage of it.
“We have for some years actively helped support new and small businesses where we are able.
“These businesses on Christchurch Road are a diverse collection but together they are boosting the local economy.
“We are able to offer highly competitive rents because we have committed to the block for the long term.”
The businesses are Coffee and Dice café which is also licensed and contains a host of board games for customers; the Back Pain Centre which provides chiropractic services,
physiotherapy, sports therapy and remedial massage; GB Academy of Martial Arts which contains a Dojo and instructs in numerous disciplines, Guasti and Co, a gift shop selling many items including cosmetics; Renovatio Bikes which sells and repairs bicycles; and Boutique Hair and Beauty, a large salon.
Notes for Editors:
DWP Housing Partnership was established as Dave Wells Properties in 1985. The company, which has its headquarters in St Clement’s Road, Boscombe, owns properties across Dorset and Hampshire and houses over 3,000 tenants.
The business currently has other new developments under construction in the Bournemouth and Poole area and plans for several more in the future.
Steve Wells sits on a number of national panels, advising on the best ways to regenerate run-down areas and working to make sure Bournemouth remains a great place to live and work. He’s also a member of the National Landlords Association (NLA) and the British property Federation (BPF).
For more information contact Ed Baker, account director at Deep South Media, on 01202 534487 or 07788392965.
