BCP Council has come under fire after a decision has not yet been made whether to reopen Poole Park’s entrance once the consultation period ends. 

From midnight tomorrow, a four-week consultation on the proposed reopening of the entrance and exit at Whitecliff Road and Twemlow Avenue will end. 

The Echo contacted BCP Council on Friday asking whether the entrance will reopen or stay closed to vehicles once the consultation period is over. 

However, a response has not been given – nearly 24 hours before the consultation is due to end at midnight on Tuesday, February 13. 

Bob Lister, a campaigner against the closure, hit out at the council for not knowing whether it will reopen the park entrance or not. 

He said: “It’s ridiculous. They say on one hand they will open it in February and on the other they say it will be closed until May at a cabinet meeting. 

“They have potentially got by the end of tomorrow 4,500 responses to go through and vet. 

“In the meantime, they’ve got half term this week and lots of people who will want to use the park. 

They should reopen it and leave it as that before the cabinet meeting in May.” 

The consultation for the entrance closure ends at midnight on Tuesday, February 13. 

Since mid-January, Poole Park’s entrance and exit at Whitecliff Road and Twemlow Avenue has been blocked to cars and vehicles. 

Cabinet members from the Three Town’s Alliance administration will consider “a report on the improvement of the environment in Poole Park through a trial closure” at a meeting on May 22.  

It has been running a public consultation alongside the ‘trial closure’, but residents were quick to criticise the move, with some arguing motorists pose no risk to park users. 

Several protests have taken place at the gates, attended by councillors, Poole’s MP Sir Robert Syms and hundreds of residents. 

More than 1,400 residents also joined a Facebook group called Leave Poole Park Alone. 

Meanwhile, cycle activist group BH Active Travel has defended the Three Town Alliance’s bid to close it to passing cars. 

The group’s spokesman Marc Lohez claimed those against the closure were a “vocal minority” and that it is “only prejudiced to one specific group of people - car drivers who drive straight through the park”. 

BH Active Travel’s chairwoman Lucie Allen added the closure will “benefit all park users”.