Dorchester, Dorset: Transport and Environment Plan Proposals; Recycling Issues

Details here

Phase 1

Phase 2

Predicted Traffic Flows, Before and After

Dorset Echo article

Update from Dorset Echo

I find it difficult to envisage the impact of the changes proposed, but I would not be opposed to a reduction in the volume of through-traffic in the historic centre of Dorchester (a reduction being a high priority in the High Street; the proposed redistribution of traffic around the town may not be the answer). More pedestrianised areas and cycleways are desirable. Adequate car-parking is essential. The air-quality argument does not seem very compelling, although it's certainly an issue in bigger towns and cities. I think I need an animated video simulation or a guided tour to visualise the full implications of the Transport and Environment Plan.

Difficult decisions, Oliver Letwin MP, Dorset Echo

Residents are also unhappy about the new recycling and waste collection system (Dorset Echo)

Update. Some comments in email from Cllr. Andy Canning:

"Last week saw the Town Council debating the issues around the Dorchester Transport and Environment Plan, listening to the views of local residents and then giving our views to Dorset County Council.

The Town Council decided to back the scheme in principle but asked for a number of significant changes to be made to meet the concerns of residents.

I summarised the main six points that needed to be changed as:

North Square/Colliton Street/Friary Lane etc. Should broadly be left as they are now but with possible improvements to include a 20mph speed limit and ‘access only’ signs
Princes Street should not be used as a bus route
Great Western Road should be made one-way in phase 1. This would deal with the problems of increased traffic volume and air pollution and allow for all the residents parking to be kept
The Junction should be made easier to navigate and more pedestrian friendly. This would help make 3 above work and stop the perception of Brewery Square becoming cut off by closing access to/from Prince of Wales Road and look at moving the pedestrian crossing closer to the bottom of South Street
Top O’ Town needs to be made safer for pedestrians, and
Cornwall Road/Borough Gardens/Victoria Road needs to see traffic pushed out to Williams Avenue. In addition County needs to look at the problems of rat running being experienced in the one-way part of Cornwall Road and see if anything works (reversing the traffic flow?).

These are the conditions that have to be met if I am going to support DTEP.

So how do we move forward from here?

A guiding principle is that County needs to be open and transparent and seen to be working with the local community. For me that means after the consultation is finished there will need to be significant modifications, then the traffic and air pollution models will need to be run again and finally there will have to be a further stage of public consultation.

It is far better to spend a bit of time getting this right rather than rushing ahead with a flawed Plan".