Poole's gyratory system 'seriously flawed'

1:00pm Tuesday 8th January 2013 in News By Diana Henderson

FLAWED: The one-way road system around Poole’s two bridges was found to be seriously flawed by Poole Council’s economy overview and scrutiny committee. Pictured is West Quay Road looking towards Hamworthy FLAWED: The one-way road system around Poole’s two bridges was found to be seriously flawed by Poole Council’s economy overview and scrutiny committee. Pictured is West Quay Road looking towards Hamworthy

SERIOUS flaws were found in the way Poole’s two bridges road system was designed and the council should act now to improve the situation.

That was the message from Cllr Brian Clements, whose economy overview and scrutiny committee, held a select committee review of the controversial £1million Marston Road/Bay Hog Lane gyratory system.

“The committee found that there were serious flaws in the way that the two-bridges system was designed,” said chairman Cllr Clements, whose committee made nine recommendations, approved by full council.

“The system allows vehicles to move effectively but designers did not take proper account of its impact on pedestrians, cyclists or people with disabilities and the quality of life for people who live in the area.

“The council must now do all that it can do improve that situation.

“Safety issues must be dealt with as a priority and there also needs to be a programme of medium and longer term changes to create the sort of area that people can live in and enjoy,” he said.

During the committee hearing in November, residents spoke of the dangers of crossing the roads, the lack of pedestrian crossings and the wrong decision to go ahead using out-of-date figures.

Recommendations included an action plan to examine and address any safety concerns, a two-way traffic system instead of the present one-way gyratory, appointing a “place champion”, involving the public and user groups at an early stage in future schemes and giving a higher priority to the needs of pedestrians and cyclists when planning new schemes.

The committee endorsed the principles of a Quality Audit approach to the design of transport schemes and chief executive John McBride has confirmed the principles will be applied to improvements in Ashley Road.

Bill Constance, chairman of Poole Old Town Conservation Group, said the independent report prepared for the review, which heavily criticised the scheme, “says everything we said”.

He said a lot of positive things had come out of the hearing and hoped residents who gave evidence would be asked to contribute to a solution. “We need them to right what is a very, very big wrong.”

Comments(19)

Baywolf says...
1:38pm Tue 8 Jan 13

All well and good but wouldn't getting the bridge to work properly be a first concerned?

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TD61 says...
2:37pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Baywolf wrote:
All well and good but wouldn't getting the bridge to work properly be a first concerned?
On the contrary - the road system needs to work as it should,in order to carry the vehicles around the bridge when that is out of action - which is frequently!

The bridge is simply an expensive short-cut across the backwater, but without the road system in operations, the cars will have no where to go.

Typical bull-headed attitude of BOP councillors - stick their heads in the sand, ignore advice from residents and other local advisory bodies and plough on with their out-dated road scheme regardless of the consequences - and then have to right the wrongs at a later date - no doubt at the local tax payers expense.

Buffoons, the lot of them!

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phonehome says...
2:39pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Is it too obvious to say, "We told you so!"

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Cosmic Crusader says...
4:08pm Tue 8 Jan 13

phonehome wrote:
Is it too obvious to say, "We told you so!"
Another unnecessary bill for the tax payer. It is about time that those responsible for these half baked schemes suffered some personal financial penalties. That would make them think twice before allowing their self importance to override common sense.

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chiefwolf2 says...
4:44pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Really ! Nah .... we never saw that one coming!!.....Did we?..... For love of god will you please start listening to the public when they say it wont work !!!!!!!! Like the Power Station site itself...... don't build flats on it.... it will never be full.... it will never ever work......it will always have for sale signs everywhere and will be another flop for BOP..... Build a huge great big indoor/ all weather shopping center/ leisure complex with hotels restaurants retail that attracts money into the town from far away....or else..... the town will die....... Mark my words...

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David Hayes says...
4:48pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Poole Council are clueless...i cant think of one area of the town that has not been ruined by this shower

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sea poole says...
5:35pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Note the total silence from key portfolio holder Cllr X. Dion...

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BIGTONE says...
7:47pm Tue 8 Jan 13

I like the way poole council think...or not.......
lets build a nice house and house this family(after completion)........t
hat's great ooooo it looks lovely...........wai
t...........it's not big enough!!!!!!!

LOL

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daily reporter says...
8:50pm Tue 8 Jan 13

for a start the whole system should have been thought out as a one way system for traffic with cycle ways and wider pathway,still what more can we expect from the councils of poole and bournemouth, pulling down the potteries on the quay with the promise of more jobs and building THAT block of flats which i hear is built to close to the water, upgrade of bus station with a coat of paint,how much? and dont forget the is working to day or is it broken today bridge. bournemouth is no better imax, then having to buy it back. it make you think what has been voted in

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Fred Luton says...
9:05pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Who actually designed the road layout?

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Fred Luton says...
9:09pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Who actually designed the road layout?

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Yankee1 says...
9:38pm Tue 8 Jan 13

It looks like a predictable 'iconic' SNAFU.

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dogsoftheworld says...
9:43pm Tue 8 Jan 13

What Cllr Clements isn't telling you is that he fought for and helped vote in the previous scheme he now berates!
Typical LibDem duplicity, just as bad as Tory behnd- doors secret policy- making.
But its easy to pick faults of course. What hasn''t been said is how bad or good the system is compared with other areas. Everywhere has faults. The danger is that other areas just as bad get neglected because of the higher profile of this.

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skydriver says...
7:54am Wed 9 Jan 13

Local councillors did this what do you expect, not trained in this sort of planning, these people have become the Bain of local taxpayers lives, I really think it is time to change them every 5 years max, in some cases 5 days.

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dorsetspeed says...
8:07am Wed 9 Jan 13

“Recommendations included… involving the public ” . Wow. There’s a novel idea. Like you did (not), Mr Clements, when I pointed out to you that the council’s statement of a £300,000 pa saving due to the Fleetsbridge traffic lights was a lie?

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gal4.7 says...
8:12am Wed 9 Jan 13

As locally elected representatives should they not be listening to the wishes of local tax payers? If they then choose to ignore those wishes it should be they who are financially liable for putting things right not the taxpayer. As Bournemouth residents about the surf reef!

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gal4.7 says...
8:12am Wed 9 Jan 13

As locally elected representatives should they not be listening to the wishes of local tax payers? If they then choose to ignore those wishes it should be they who are financially liable for putting things right not the taxpayer. As Bournemouth residents about the surf reef!

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lilliputian says...
8:51am Wed 9 Jan 13

sea poole wrote:
Note the total silence from key portfolio holder Cllr X. Dion...
What did you expect from someone with zero knowledge, expertise or competence in Planning? Yet another 'foul up' from this incompetent Councillor.

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kingstonpaul says...
1:26pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Problem with road planners is that their models don't make allowances for the behaviours of human beings. Increasingly for motorists, new road layouts and signage hatched in a draughtman's office are counter-intuitive to motorists.

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