Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council are drawing up a new Local Transport Plan (LTP). It will cover the period 2026 – 2041. The draft strategy plan is now out for consultation and you have until 13 October to submit your comments.
The draft strategy sets out their long-term vision on how to make travel easier, safer and more inclusive. It looks at how they can improve travel choices, reduce congestion, cut pollution, and make it easier for people to get to work, school, healthcare and leisure. It also aims to support their goals of tackling climate change, protecting the environment and helping local communities to thrive.
It’s important that as many people as possible respond to the consultation and give their thoughts and concerns on the proposed vision. Not necessarily easy though as the actual draft strategy in full is 66 pages long!
The consultation survey form is really only a list of the aims and objectives and asks on a scale whether you agree or disagree with each point. And why wouldn’t you agree with all the grand visionary statements? The real challenge of course is how they are planning to actually deliver all of this.
In order to get a feel of this you also need to read their draft Transport Implementation Plan. Which is a separate document – another 72 pages!
Dorchester Transport Action Group will be making a submission to the consultation. We will concentrate on the points in the strategy and implementation plan that directly affects Dorchester and our surrounding area. If you take a look at the implementation plan you will see that Dorchester is in the ‘Central Dorset’ area and its pages 29 – 31 that specifically cover our area.
We will be drawing up our submission over the next couple of weeks and when we submit it we will put a copy onto our website. If any of you then want to use it as a template for your own submission you will be welcome to do so.
When you start doing the survey form you can stop at any point and save it, then go back to it later. And at the very end there is a box to put other comments (maximum 1,250 words), so it is possible to write out what you feel and put it in there.
Here’s some links to take you to the documents and the survey form as they are not obviously accessible on the Dorset Council website.
The draft Local Transport Plan.
Where can I find your submission to the Local Trnsport Plan ?
There is a real need for an active, consistent rail link between Wareham and Swanage. There should be a commuter train to relieve the road congestion. I understand that money was given to upgrade the infrastructure/ power links in Wareham but what is there to show for it? There should also not be any further suggestion of housing outside the Wareham byepass, which is already gridlocked in the summer. The completion of Lidl will already add to the congestion.