CONCERNS have been raised that the Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch conurbation will be “isolated” when it becomes part of a new sub-national transport body.

Dubbed the Western Gateway, the body will see nearly 10 local authorities join forces to produce a strategic transport plan and apply for government funding. The new Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council will be partnered with councils including Bristol, North Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire; meanwhile, the new Dorset Council will be part of the separate South West Peninsula transport body, along with councils in Somerset, Cornwall, Devon, and Plymouth.

A report to the Heart of the South West Joint Committee said these will initially be informal partnerships, however, in the long term, a move towards establishing statutory body status could be made. This means the bodies will have legal powers devolved from the government to make transport investment decision-making across their areas.

However, Poole councillor Andy Hadley said there was a “real danger of this conurbation being isolated” when it is “bundled with the Bristol area but divorced from its neighbours”.

“It doesn’t bode well for connected transport,” he said.

“It means that we’ll separately be at the margin of strategy and bids for investment on transport, with potentially rural Dorset looking far west, and the urban conurbation an afterthought on thinking centred around Gloucester and Bristol.”

He added Dorset had “poor road and rail links to the north and west”.

With the creation of the body, key A roads which have been identified in the Department for Transport’s Major Roads Network could then be upgraded through proposed projects. These include bypasses, missing links between existing routes, road widening and major junction improvements.

Among the identified roads are: the A338 between Ringwood and Bournemouth; the A347/A348 between Palmersford Roundabout and Mountbatten Roundabout; the A3049 between Springbourne Roundabout and Fleetsbridge Roundabout; the A349/A341 between Merley Roundabout and Fleetsbridge Roundabout (including Broadstone Way); the A350/A35 Upton Bypass, and the A35 between Bere Regis and Bakers Arms roundabout.

Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the joint committee and leader of Somerset County Council, said: “The joint committee is about working across boundaries to improve productivity and deliver real benefits to residents.

“We are already delivering growth and increased productivity but we can do more and, to achieve that, we need much-improved road and rail links.”