7:40pm Monday 7th December 2009
By Paula Roberts
A RAFT of road safety improvements will be introduced in Ferndown after persistent requests from town councillors.
The 10-point plan was compiled by the Ferndown town council traffic working party and taken to East Dorset District Council and then Dorset County Council’s highways department.
Funding will be made available between 2010 and 2011 for a new pedestrian crossing on Ringwood Road near Carroll Avenue to serve the Heatherlands Estate.
Provisional agreement has been given for a “no left turn” from New Road into Ringwood Road at Penny’s Hill and for a “no right turn” from Ringwood Road into Church Road at the Church Road lights.
Other provisional agreements include: * A night-time lorry ban through the town centre; * A “Pegasus” crossing for horse-riders at Angel Lane to link bridleways; and * A Longham Bridge traffic management system to ensure HGVs do not meet on the bridge.
All of these schemes will be assessed and researched by the county council and if they are found to be causing a problem for traffic, plans will be made to take them forward.
Town and district councillor Lesley Dedman, who is also chairman of the working party, said: “We are pleased they are doing so much and are prepared to listen to our ideas.
“The aim of the 10-point plan is to make Ferndown bearable for residents, let alone pleasant.”
“Traffic through Ferndown is still an ongoing problems and we are by no means there.
“The lorry accident on Ringwood Road [early yesterday] proves that something needs to be done.”
The councillors were told there would be no plans to reduce the 40mph speed limit on Ham Lane to 30mph, a HGV ban on Dudsbury Crescent and Dudsbury Avenue and a pedestrian crossing at the Haskins roundabout on Ringwood Road.
But three additional points were given the green light – to change lane markings to the southbound approach to the Turbary roundabout, improve the bus stops and greater use of the directional green “waves” to improve traffic flow on Ringwood Road.
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