Transport plans with BCP Council approved by Dorset councillors

The long-term plan, to 2041, sets out priorities for improving public transport across both areas with investment largely in bus routes  – although many areas are excluded from the proposals in the early years.

The councils are also hoping that their plan will help attract further Government grants, although BCP has yet to vote on the plan’s proposals.

Said former Dorset Council transport portfolio holder Cllr Ray Bryan (St Leonards & St Ives), who started working on the project during his time when the council was Conservative controlled: “Let’s get some buses on the roads we can use… we need the right people talking to each other, we do need to improve rural transport going forward. Time isn’t on our side, the older the population the worse this gets,” he said.

Verwood councillor Simon Gibson (Con) said he too supported the plan although, in the immediate future, his area got nothing from it. He said he hoped the two councils would work on ‘missed’ areas as soon as they could.

Portland Labour councillor said the councils need to “push and push for more buses” speaking of new Island housing developments where there was no bus route.

Chickerell councillor Simon Clifford (Lib Dem) also welcomed the plan – telling councillors that if one of his residents needed to visit a GP and then get a prescription using only buses they faced a four-hour trip.

“We do have plans which will come forward in the next 12 months joining up market towns better and supporting community transport,” he said.

The Chickerell councillor, Dorset’s finance portfolio holder said the joint plan had Department for Transport funding to support delivery of the Implementation Plan until 2031. 

He said the council has been allocated approximately £158.5m of consolidated transport funding for the period 2026/27 to 2029/30, including capital and revenue funding through the Integrated Transport Fund and Bus Services Fund.

This includes over £33m in 2026/27 to support highways maintenance, bus services, active travel and local transport priorities.

An online consultation received 1,397 valid responses, with approximately 70 per cent from Dorset Council residents and 30 per cent from the BCP Council area.

Officers say the results demonstrate strong overall support for the plan’s direction.

“In Dorset, 72 per cent of respondents agreed with the vision and objectives, representing a clear and positive mandate to proceed with adoption of the plan,” said a report.