Councillor defends closing park "rat-run" to drivers to promote cycling and address "challenge" of "dominance of the car"

A councillor has urged locals to respect the consultation process and "see how the trial progresses" amid noise and protests from an outspoken group of residents unhappy at the decision to close a "rat-run" through a park in order to promote a safer environment for cyclists and walkers. 

Councillor Andy Hadley, BCP Council's portfolio holder for the environment, insisted the council does not have an "anti-car agenda" but there is a "challenge on our roads about the dominance of the car" with vehicles "getting bigger and more of them".

From 17 January, a road through Poole Park, in the Dorset town, has been closed to through-traffic, preventing rat-running drivers using the heritage listed park in a conservation area as a cut-through near Sandbanks, one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the country.

The trial period is running for four-weeks while public opinion is gauged, the park still accessible for drivers, but not as a through-route, BCP Council believing it will "create safer routes for people walking, wheeling and cycling" and tackle noise and air pollution.

And while cllr Hadley told the Mail that during the first weeks of the trial he had heard from residents who have said the "closure has transformed the park", with people "saying how nice it is to hear birdsong in the park and how nice it is to be able to let their dogs off the lead", there is also an outspoken portion of the community, particularly on social media, expressing vocal opposition to not being able to drive through the park.

Much of the rhetoric mirrors what has been heard up and down the country during the debates about active travel schemes, low-traffic neighbourhoods, 15-minute cities, ULEZ and more.

Some have claimed not being able to use the park as a through-route means congestion has built up elsewhere, Bob Lister, the co-founder of the Friends of Poole Park group, calling it a "madcap idea that will be a disaster if this becomes permanent".

One resident angered by the decision said: "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.

> How to save a Low Traffic Neighbourhood: Overcoming hecklers, "dodgy" data, and political intrigue as councillors prevent early scrapping of active streets trial

"I can't imagine the chaos which will occur in the summer when festivals and other events which go on in the park try to contend with a system that only allows one exit point for all vehicles."

Another added: "I live on the other side of the park and now have an added five miles to my daily commute to work. Now traffic can't go through the park and the roads round it are gridlocked at the busiest times of the day."

A picture posted on a Facebook group protesting the decision showed one protester stood at the road closure with a sign asking if it is a "sinister agenda" and stating "we do not consent" below a list of projects that included: 15-minute cities, 20 mph speed limits, ULEZ, LTN, and "blocking roads".

However, in his comments mentioned earlier, cllr Hadley insisted there is no "anti-car agenda", while pro-cycling group BH Active Travel has championed the potential "environmental improvements" and benefits to "health and wellbeing".

Lucie Allen, chair of BH Active Travel, said: "We firmly believe that parks should be safe, open green spaces for people to use, whether that be for recreation, leisure, or quiet contemplation. It's always amazed me that commuters are allowed to cut through the park, particularly during the end of the school day and rush hour, effectively using the park as a rat-run to avoid congestion on the road network.

> Richmond Park reopens to rat-running drivers after almost five months of car-free roads

"Closing one of the exits will reduce the amount of through traffic, while still allowing visitors who need to drive there, the ability to drive in, park up and enjoy its amenities. Bournemouth's park users have benefitted from both Meyrick and Kings parks being car-free. We are not quite there yet with Poole Park, but this is a very positive step in the right direction."