Poole Park Access

This consultation has now closed.

You can read the consultation results here

This matter was considered by the Environment and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 15 May and Cabinet on 22 May 2024(External link) and a decision was made to keep the Whitecliff Gate entrance/exit to the park closed permanently.

The responses to this consultation and further evidence collected during the trial closure fed into the report to Cabinet which also considers the strategic management of the park and wider impact of the closure.

63% of responses to the consultation disagreed with the closure and 36% responses agreed, 1% of responses were neutral in their view. The consultation revealed that older people and those with a disability were more likely to disagree with the proposal. Those who travel to the park on foot, by bike, scooter and bus were more likely to agree with the proposal and those who travelled by car or motorbike or mobility scooter were more likely to disagree. Those respondents who agreed with the proposal felt that it would improve the quality of the environment within the park and improve safety. Those respondents who disagreed said that they wanted to continue to drive through the park, concerned about accessing the park and were concerned about traffic congestion on alternative routes.

All the views given were read and contributed to the final consultation report.

Public Health Dorset supports the permanent closure of the gate, as this will contribute to creating an environment that encourages physical activity such as walking, play, and enjoyment of the natural environment, and a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of the population who use the park.

An independent review by the DOTS Disability Consultation and Advisory Service, and the council’s Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) both suggest there is limited impact on any groups with protected characteristics.

Data suggests that closing the Whitecliff Road entrance to Poole Park resulted in approximately a 50% reduction in traffic in the park and a 2% increase in traffic along Parkstone Road.

You can watch the issue being discussed and see how residents views were considered here

Environment and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee(External link)

Cabinet(External link)


Proposed closure of entrance by Whitecliff Road / Twemlow Avenue

From 17 January 2024, BCP Council will be trialling a daily 24-hour gate closure at Poole Park. This will only be at the entrance and exit point on Whitecliff Road, adjacent to Twemlow Avenue. This is an extension to the current daily closure in place from 7.30-10am at all entrances, which prevents vehicles entering or exiting the park during the morning rush hour.

The reason for this closure is to promote environmental improvements in and around Poole Park. This is in line with BCP Council’s Corporate Strategy for health and well-being and active, sustainable communities.

A consultation will open in conjunction with a trial closure on Wednesday 17 January 2024 and will run for 4 weeks, closing at 23:59 on Tuesday 13 February 2024. We will consider the feedback and then make a decision about whether to retain the closure of this park entrance to motor vehicles or revert to the previous opening / closure times.

Background information

Poole Park is a heritage listed park in a Conservation area, which is managed and maintained by BCP Council. Opened in 1890, the road was originally designed for horse and carriages to access the park. BCP Council now allows controlled motor vehicle access to the park. The park road is not an adopted highway though some drivers use it as a through route, avoiding busy junctions nearby.

The park is closed to vehicles 7.30 am – 10am Mon-Sat, to reduce the impact of rush hour traffic, creating a car-free environment. This closure to vehicles has been in place since at least the 1980’s.

Previous road-closure consultations (2017) have shown an equal split in opinion for closing or maintaining a through road. However, more recent ‘Future of Parks’ surveys and engagement related to temporary closures nearby show an increased preference for vehicle restrictions.

Proposal

We propose to permanently close the entrance to the park adjacent to Twemlow Avenue to motor vehicles, effectively preventing the use of the park as a through route between Poole Town Centre and Sandbanks Road / Whitecliff area.

Impact

We believe that this proposal would create an enhanced park environment. Reducing vehicle movements, noise and air pollution and creating a safer park environment will benefit park users.

The Park forms part of several routes identified in the Local Cycling Walking Improvement Plan (LCWIP) as being important for walking and cycling. Reducing traffic movements through the park and beyond would create safer routes for people walking, wheeling and cycling.

There would likely be a minor impact on the surrounding highway network as it absorbs traffic previously diverting through the park. Since the park is already closed to motor traffic during the busy morning peak time, there is no reason why the local highway network would not accommodate the closure throughout the day.

Café concessions could be concerned about loss of trade from reduced through traffic, albeit any persons travelling to visit the park by car would still be able to access all areas.

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 between Sandbanks Road and Poole Town Centre and the reverse.

The car parks and parking areas would be unaffected, all car parks and concessions will still be accessible by vehicles.

How to have your say

Let us know what you have to say about this proposal by completing our online survey(External link). Alternatively paper copies of the questionnaire will be available on request in any BCP Library.

This consultation will commence at 09:00 on 17 January 2024 and will close at 23:59 on 13 February 2024

Next steps

We will consider the consultation findings before making a final decision on a closure. This will be communicated to the public as soon as possible and the the change will either be made permanent or the temporary signage will be removed and the original opening / closure regime reinstated.


This consultation has now closed.

You can read the consultation results here

This matter was considered by the Environment and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 15 May and Cabinet on 22 May 2024(External link) and a decision was made to keep the Whitecliff Gate entrance/exit to the park closed permanently.

The responses to this consultation and further evidence collected during the trial closure fed into the report to Cabinet which also considers the strategic management of the park and wider impact of the closure.

63% of responses to the consultation disagreed with the closure and 36% responses agreed, 1% of responses were neutral in their view. The consultation revealed that older people and those with a disability were more likely to disagree with the proposal. Those who travel to the park on foot, by bike, scooter and bus were more likely to agree with the proposal and those who travelled by car or motorbike or mobility scooter were more likely to disagree. Those respondents who agreed with the proposal felt that it would improve the quality of the environment within the park and improve safety. Those respondents who disagreed said that they wanted to continue to drive through the park, concerned about accessing the park and were concerned about traffic congestion on alternative routes.

All the views given were read and contributed to the final consultation report.

Public Health Dorset supports the permanent closure of the gate, as this will contribute to creating an environment that encourages physical activity such as walking, play, and enjoyment of the natural environment, and a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of the population who use the park.

An independent review by the DOTS Disability Consultation and Advisory Service, and the council’s Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) both suggest there is limited impact on any groups with protected characteristics.

Data suggests that closing the Whitecliff Road entrance to Poole Park resulted in approximately a 50% reduction in traffic in the park and a 2% increase in traffic along Parkstone Road.

You can watch the issue being discussed and see how residents views were considered here

Environment and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee(External link)

Cabinet(External link)


Proposed closure of entrance by Whitecliff Road / Twemlow Avenue

From 17 January 2024, BCP Council will be trialling a daily 24-hour gate closure at Poole Park. This will only be at the entrance and exit point on Whitecliff Road, adjacent to Twemlow Avenue. This is an extension to the current daily closure in place from 7.30-10am at all entrances, which prevents vehicles entering or exiting the park during the morning rush hour.

The reason for this closure is to promote environmental improvements in and around Poole Park. This is in line with BCP Council’s Corporate Strategy for health and well-being and active, sustainable communities.

A consultation will open in conjunction with a trial closure on Wednesday 17 January 2024 and will run for 4 weeks, closing at 23:59 on Tuesday 13 February 2024. We will consider the feedback and then make a decision about whether to retain the closure of this park entrance to motor vehicles or revert to the previous opening / closure times.

Background information

Poole Park is a heritage listed park in a Conservation area, which is managed and maintained by BCP Council. Opened in 1890, the road was originally designed for horse and carriages to access the park. BCP Council now allows controlled motor vehicle access to the park. The park road is not an adopted highway though some drivers use it as a through route, avoiding busy junctions nearby.

The park is closed to vehicles 7.30 am – 10am Mon-Sat, to reduce the impact of rush hour traffic, creating a car-free environment. This closure to vehicles has been in place since at least the 1980’s.

Previous road-closure consultations (2017) have shown an equal split in opinion for closing or maintaining a through road. However, more recent ‘Future of Parks’ surveys and engagement related to temporary closures nearby show an increased preference for vehicle restrictions.

Proposal

We propose to permanently close the entrance to the park adjacent to Twemlow Avenue to motor vehicles, effectively preventing the use of the park as a through route between Poole Town Centre and Sandbanks Road / Whitecliff area.

Impact

We believe that this proposal would create an enhanced park environment. Reducing vehicle movements, noise and air pollution and creating a safer park environment will benefit park users.

The Park forms part of several routes identified in the Local Cycling Walking Improvement Plan (LCWIP) as being important for walking and cycling. Reducing traffic movements through the park and beyond would create safer routes for people walking, wheeling and cycling.

There would likely be a minor impact on the surrounding highway network as it absorbs traffic previously diverting through the park. Since the park is already closed to motor traffic during the busy morning peak time, there is no reason why the local highway network would not accommodate the closure throughout the day.

Café concessions could be concerned about loss of trade from reduced through traffic, albeit any persons travelling to visit the park by car would still be able to access all areas.

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 between Sandbanks Road and Poole Town Centre and the reverse.

The car parks and parking areas would be unaffected, all car parks and concessions will still be accessible by vehicles.

How to have your say

Let us know what you have to say about this proposal by completing our online survey(External link). Alternatively paper copies of the questionnaire will be available on request in any BCP Library.

This consultation will commence at 09:00 on 17 January 2024 and will close at 23:59 on 13 February 2024

Next steps

We will consider the consultation findings before making a final decision on a closure. This will be communicated to the public as soon as possible and the the change will either be made permanent or the temporary signage will be removed and the original opening / closure regime reinstated.


Page published: 05 Nov 2024, 01:58 PM