Access

This theme was previously titled ‘Traffic’ but has been re-named to reflect the fact that it’s not just all about roads, cars and car parks; the theme also considers park entrances, pavements, pedestrian links & more 

Theme principle

The entrances and the roads in the Park are part of the Park, where every user regardless of their abilities has the same rights.

We will be carrying out work to:

• make the park more accessible, with narrower road crossings and friendlier crossing points for pedestrians
• slow vehicles down making it harder to drive through the park and remove highway features like the roundabout and reduce the amount of tarmac surface
• provide new lighting all the way along the carriage drive and from the cricket pavilion to Copse Close.
• install new drainage and resurface roads and footpaths to prevent local flooding issues
• remove some existing trees and replace and plant more trees along the drive and nearby areas.

Works subject to tendered prices and the successful appointment of a contractor.

Works will be phased through 2020 to allow tree works and planting to be undertaken at the right time for bats, nesting birds and the trees themselves, whilst also avoiding the busier summer months.

The successful contractor will be required to allow movement into and out of the park at all times, whilst understanding that significant disruption will take place and localised diversions will be in place.

A communication and public engagement plan is in place which will be publicised once the contractor has been appointed and there is a clear programme of works.

There will be no reduction in parking spaces throughout the park, although car parking layouts will change, and the method of closing the park Mondays to Saturdays 6am – 10am will be re-assessed.

There are currently no plans to charge for parking in Poole Park. 

Feedback during previous public consultations clearly showed that park users wanted the level of traffic through the park to be reduced during peak times.

Therefore the road between the middle car park, near the roundabout, and the Kitchen Restaurant was closed between 4pm and 6pm every weekday from 4th-29th July 2016. In addition the park was open to vehicles an hour earlier at 9am throughout the same period.

The trial aimed to:

• support the council’s consultation work as part of Poole Park Life as well as provide evidence of the impact a road closure might have on traffic volumes and the improvement it provides for park users;
• enable the park to remain open with full access to all car parks, businesses and concessions, as just a section of the through road will be closed;
• make use of the term time and school holiday traffic flows to monitor the effects during these periods.

Consultation 2016

Thanks to everyone who commented, completed a questionnaire or came along to our consultation event in April 2016. 

Below is a description of the proposals we put forward, and revised drawings and concept views (July 2016) that resulted from the consultation; consultation feedback is summarised in a design review document – download the summary.