A coastal town adundant with rich home owners and celebrities has been immersed in turmoil after a popular shortcut was closed off – in favour of cyclists.
Residents in Sandbanks, near Poole, are up in arms, claiming the unfavourable move has sparked traffic gridlock after cars were banned from taking using a popular rat-run. According to council officials, Poole Park was being used by motorists to save time on their journeys to Sandbanks.
They therefore decided to close one of the entrance gates to stop cars being able to pass. The council claimed that shutting the gate would enable a safer passage through the park for cyclists and pedestrians – and curb pollution in the green space.
However, critics have slammed the move, claiming it’s had the opposite effect and has caused has increased pollution on neighbouring roads.
Reports have emerged of drivers being caught up in delays of up to 20 minutes, as they now have to go around the 110-acre park to reach the luxurious Sandbanks.
Pauline Monk told MailOnline: “Previously we have easily and safely used the park road to get to Sandbanks Road and Shore Road. Now we have to squeeze into the queue of traffic waiting to get to the Civic Centre and then have to join a long queue taking it in turns to go through the railway bridge along Sandbanks Road.
“So, more irritation, more delay, potentially more accidents, and more petrol being used up as we wait in stationary cars to navigate these blockages.
“So much for cutting the carbon footprint. In the meantime the park is nearly empty and a perfectly good road to avoid these pressure points has been blocked off.”
Another resident said that there was “no problem to fix” and wasn’t aware of that any incidents had taken place between cars and cyclists or pedestrians in the park.
They claimed that the closure had added five miles to their commute, adding: “The worrying thing is this is winter, I can’t imagine how bad it will be in the summer.”
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) has launched a public consultation over whether the closure should be made permanent.
Express.co.uk has approached BCP Council for comment. The BCP Council website states the idea behind the closure of the park to motorists was to “promote environmental improvements” in-keeping with its strategy for “health and well-being and active, sustainable communities.”
It also said: “We propose to permanently close the entrance to the park…to motor vehicles, effectively preventing the use of the park as a through route between Poole Town Centre and Sandbanks Road.
“Closing one of the three vehicle entrances would not prevent any vehicle from still being able to access all areas of the park, but it would significantly reduce the number of vehicles using it as a cut through.”
