Revealed: plans for new link road from A338 to Royal Bournemouth Hospital

The scheme, which is part of a major project planned by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), has been split into two phases.

Phase one will see a new southbound slip road built on the A338 at Wessex Fields. The slip road will join a new link road which will be built across Wessex Fields and act as a second access road to Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

Phase two of the scheme would include the construction of a new bridge over the A338 at Wessex Fields near the 'Welcome to Bournemouth' sign and a northbound slip road.

So far the council has secured £8million funding from the LEP for phase one of the scheme. The cost has increased from £5.7million.

In a report to cabinet officers explain that the increased cost to phase one is a result of "design changes" aimed to reduce the "visual impact" of the scheme and ensure it is "future proof".

There is currently no funding in place for the second phase of the scheme which has an estimated cost of £13million and despite plans to fund the project from "developer contributions", officers have said this is unlikely to be financially sustainable.

There is also currently no planning policy in place fixing the level of developer contributions - leaving the council to negotiate each deal separately.

While the link road will help to alleviate traffic issues around the hospital and the Cooper Dean Roundabout, it will also unlock employment land at Wessex Fields, according to the council.

During Wednesday's cabinet meeting members will be discussing plans to purchase 5.9 hectares of employment land and 6.3 hectares of greenbelt land at the site - which is currently owned by Cooper Dean Estates.

Cllr Mike Greene, cabinet member for transport, sustainability and carbon management, said the scheme would create 500 additional jobs for the local area.

The scheme has also received the backing of Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

RBCH estates manager Edwin Davies said: “A new junction would significantly improve vehicle access to RBH, ensuring our patients and staff would not have to endure delays accessing or leaving the site, particularly during peak periods in the afternoon.

“The junction will also help to alleviate congestion that occurs on the RBH site sporadically as a result of road works and traffic incidents on the main roads around the hospital.”

Royal Bournemouth Hospital is also set to undergo huge expansion because of a shake-up of local health services. The ongoing clinical services review in Dorset could see RBH become the area’s major A&E centre as well as a possible merger with Poole Hospital.

According to Cllr Greene these plans "make it even more imperative to try and improve the traffic links in the area".

There are however some concerns about the viability of the land purchase without planning permission.

According to the report the land valuation has been completed on the basis that phase one will go ahead on time.

It said: "If the delivery of phase one is delayed significantly due to problems with the planning application for the full junction then the LEP may reallocate funding elsewhere within the growth deal funding."

However Cllr Greene has said that as long as the scheme gets planning permission then phase one will go ahead.

"Phase one as a project stands up on its own without phase two," he added.

"Clearly we want the whole scheme to be built but even if it is ever only phase one it will help solve a traffic problem and create 500 jobs.

"To me that stacks up on its own."

The project is part of the BIG Programme - a package of transport and infrastructure projects to transform access to and around Bournemouth Airport, Aviation Business Park and Wessex Fields.

The other schemes taking place include improvements to Blackwater Junction and a possible widening of the A338 Wessex Way between Blackwater and Cooper Dean.

Work at Blackwater Junction and Hurn Roundabout is set to start in September 2017 - with work on the Wessex Fields Junction set to start in Spring 2019.