FAQs

An ETRO allows the council to put traffic measures in place for a trial period of up to 18 months. During this time the council assesses the impacts of the measures and may make any necessary changes.

• Darbys Lane is closed to all motor traffic at the junction with Wimborne Road and Fernside Road (the New Inn Junction), as shown on the map below.
• Motor vehicles are no longer able to exit Darbys Lane onto Wimborne Road or Fernside Road. Vehicular access to adjacent businesses and residential roads is not affected.
• The closure is carried out using timber planters and appropriate signage, which still allow people walking or cycling to get through.
• The traffic signals timing has been adjusted at the New Inn junction and the Dorchester Road junction to account for the change in traffic flows. 
• A complementary closure is being trialled on Kingsbere Road, at its junction with Hennings Park Road to create a low traffic area.

Darbys Lane is part of a key active travel corridor, shown to have potential high demand for cycling by the Department for Transport’s Propensity to Cycle Tool. Situated on the Transforming Cities Fund route C5 (which links Canford Heath to Poole Town Centre), Darbys Lane serves a number of employment and educational sites in Poole Town Centre and Canford Heath, including neighbouring primary schools and Poole High School. It has also been identified as a primary link in the council’s draft Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan. 

New Inn is a busy junction on the route. A cycle filter at the southern end of Darbys Lane simplifies movement at this junction, helping make cycling safer and more attractive. The reduction in traffic will also enhance safety for residents living along Darbys Lane and children travelling to school. A complementary closure on Kingsbere Road at its junction with Hennings Park Road will create a low traffic area.

It is hoped that the simplification of the New Inn junction and the reduction in through traffic will encourage more people to walk or cycle to work in accordance with the Local Transport Plan. The scheme will also support children and parents travelling to and from schools by making it easier and safer for people to travel to school by and bike and on foot, reducing the need to travel by car.

With more people taking to cycling and walking during the Coronavirus lockdowns these measures are being trialled in response to the government’s emergency active travel fund which has been set up to prioritise cycling and walking as the preferred method of travel. To recognise the impact of travel on our environment, the government has emphasised that walking and cycling should be the natural choice for our daily lives. Prioritising walking and cycling also helps us to contribute towards tackling the council’s declared climate emergency.

Following six months of operation, the Portfolio Holder for Transport and Sustainability considered the consultation findings, formal comments of objections and support, a petition from residents of Kingsbere Road, the wider implications for the traffic network; as well as consulting local ward councillors and officers; and considering the additional 3-week engagement on the proposed decision. Taking into account the feedback from the trial, and that Darbys Lane is on a key transport route, the Portfolio Holder has decided that the experimental closure of Darbys Lane should be continued for review and final decision after two months of further operation, and, to expand the experiment to include a new closure of Kingsbere Road at its junction with Hennings Park Road. The Kingsbere Road ETRO will run for up to 18 months, with a review after six months.

Yes and no. Studies from other places where many of these sorts of schemes have been done previously show that in the short term, the surrounding roads may see a slight increase in traffic. However, in the longer term, this is dispersed and the effect on nearby main roads is minimal. This is because the changes are the nudge that some people need to reduce the number of journeys they make by car, so overall car trips are reduced in the area. Main road traffic flow can also be smoothed as there are fewer vehicles turning in and out of side roads.

Traffic surveys will record traffic flows in Pound Lane before and during the Kingsbere Road ETRO closure. The local bus operator will be asked to provide information on journey times in this area. 

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has awarded local authorities Emergency Active Travel Funding to introduce temporary changes to help increase the number of journeys completed by walking and cycling. This is so that everyone can enjoy the benefits to health, air quality and reduction in congestion. BCP Council has been awarded funding to introduce emergency measures that improve the safety and convenience of walking or cycling, including this scheme.

We wanted to hear from those who live in, work in or visit the area. Respondents were able to give their views using an online form or collect a paper copy of the survey by visiting Oakdale Library or contacting Customer Services.

As many of the questions ask about the effects of the changes, we suggested that respondents gave your views once the changes have had some time to settle in, so that they could comment on the overall effectiveness of the changes and how they have impacted on you in practice. 

A consultation for the ETRO on Kingsbere Road is being undertaken separately.