We know that road safety is important to our residents, both as pedestrians and road users. We act as a voice for the community, reporting issues to the highway authority and suggesting improvements.
Speed Indicator Device
We own and maintain a Speed Indicator Device (SID) which is moved regularly between three locations: Middlehill Road, Leigh Road and Wimborne Road. The SID captures data on the speed of vehicles which is shared with the police to inform their speed camera operations. We know from evidence provided from Dorset Council that the SID is effective at reducing traffic speed. This year we updated the solar panel installed at the Leigh Road site.
Pedestrian Crossings
We continue to liaise with Dorset Council to seek the installation of pedestrian crossing points at two locations on Middlehill Road, near Lonnen Road and near Cutlers Place. These locations were chosen following a public consultation in 2022, and have been assessed by Dorset Council as feasible sites based on road and pedestrian numbers.
Latest Update Issued 29th April 2025
Dorset Council have confirmed this week that work is now underway looking at the potential installation of pedestrian crossings at two locations on Middlehill Road, one near the junction with Cutlers Place and the other near the junction with Lonnen Road. This follows our public survey in 2022 asking our residents if they supported the introduction of pedestrian crossing points, 92% of those responding confirming they did.
Dorset Council have undertaken traffic surveys at these two locations and confirmed they meet the necessary criteria for a crossing. We have now been informed that work is actively underway and an engineer has been allocated to look at the technical options and costs involved.
This is the latest update we’ve received from Dorset Council…
“We understand the importance of ensuring the safety of all residents, especially children, the elderly, and vulnerable individuals, particularly given the tragic recent event.
It is good to hear of the clear support for the crossings. Please be assured that work is underway and we expect options and costs in due course. Unfortunately, we receive a significantly higher number of requests for pedestrian crossings each year than our available budget allows us to construct. This means that it can take several years between a request for a crossing and construction, and schemes are delivered in priority order. When we have the costs and options back from the engineer, we will have a better idea of when we will be able to build the scheme.
We are currently in the early stages of the scheme. Therefore, we cannot yet provide exact details of the crossing options and associated costs for residents, as we are awaiting this information from the allocated engineer who is now working on the project. We understand the importance of keeping residents informed and will continue to provide updates on our progress at the earliest opportunity, so you are able to share with the community.”
We will continue to provide updates on our website and Facebook as we receive them.
20 mph Schemes
This year we consulted with the community on a 20mph scheme proposed for Burt’s Hill and were successful in getting the scheme amended to reflect residents’ feedback.
We know that our residents are particularly concerned about road safety in the vicinity of our schools and are currently engaging with Dorset Council to seek appropriate solutions that will make these areas safer.