Millionaire's playground Sandbanks is hit by traffic gridlock as cars are stopped from taking shortcut in favour of cyclists

• Sandbanks residents face gridlock after cars banned from driving in Poole Park 

Sandbanks residents are facing traffic gridlock after cars were stopped from driving through a park in favour of cyclists.

Council officials said Poole Park in Dorset was being used as a shortcut for drivers to get to Sandbanks and so closed one of the entrance gates to stop this from happening.

They said closing the through road route would make it safer for cyclists and pedestrians and reduce the carbon emissions in the park.

But critics say the move has back-fired as it has led to traffic chaos and increased pollution in neighbouring roads.

There have been reports of motorists having up to 20 minutes added on to their journey times because they now have to drive around the 110-acre park to reach the suburbs of Poole Harbour.

Circled: The now closed vehicle access to Poole Park which has caused traffic chaos in Sandbanks

Sandbanks residents are facing traffic gridlock after cars were stopped from driving through a park in favour of cyclists

Over 250 Poole residents staged a protest against the ‘madcap move’

Council officials said Poole Park in Dorset was being used as a shortcut for drivers to get to Sandbanks and so closed one of the entrance gates

Pauline Monk said: ‘Previously we have easily and safely used the park road to get to Sandbanks Road and Shore Road.

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‘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.

‘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 local resident, who asked not to be named, said: ‘There was no problem to fix and as far as I’m aware there have never been any accidents involving cars in the park.

‘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.

‘The worrying thing is this is winter, I can’t imagine how bad it will be in the summer. ‘

The signs indicating the road closure inside Poole Park in Sandbanks

Locals pointed out that there hasn’t been a single accident involving a car in the park in living memory and that vehicles struggle to get above 10mph due to speed humps

furious locals say that the move has back-fired as it has led to traffic chaos and increased pollution in neighbouring roads

The closure has led to reports of traffic congestion inside the park at weekends as cars queue up to leave

The closure of the park through traffic has been met with fierce opposition from locals who believe it is an ‘anti-car’ decision to appease the cycling fraternity.

For 134 years motorists have been able to enjoy the scenic drive through the park, entering and exiting through two gates on the south east and west side.

BCP Council closed off the east gate which connects to Sandbanks Road two weeks ago on a trial basis.

While cars can still access the park there is now only one exit.

This has led to reports of traffic congestion inside the park at weekends as cars queue up to leave.

Other motorists have lamented the loss of being able to enjoy a scenic drive home and unwind after a stressful day at work.

Richard Coleman said: ‘If it’s been a particularly tough or stressful day I appreciate the few minutes calm and to be able to enjoy views out over the lakes. It helps towards mental health to have a few minutes away from all the hustle and bustle.

‘By closing the gate it denies me that opportunity and adds to stress.’

Other people have pointed out that there hasn’t been a single accident involving a car in the park in living memory and that vehicles struggle to get above 10mph due to speed humps.

BCP Council has launched a public consultation as to whether the temporary closure should be made permanent.

Bob Lister, a co-founder of the Friends of Poole Park group, said: ‘Most of the houses are on the eastern side of the park where these gate are and most park visitors come from that direction as they regard that as the main entrance.

‘This is a madcap idea that will be a disaster if this becomes permanent.’

‘This is a madcap idea that will be a disaster if this becomes permanent,’ said Bob Lister (pictured), a co-founder of the Friends of Poole Park group

The closure of the park through traffic has been met with fierce opposition from locals who believe it is an ‘anti-car’ decision to appease the cycling fraternity

The cycling group BH Active Travel is campaigning for all parks in the area to be car-free.

On its website, BCP Council states that the reason for the closure was to ‘promote environmental improvements’ in the park which is in line with its strategy for ‘health and well-being and active, sustainable communities.’

It states: ‘We propose to permanently close the entrance to the park…to motor vehicles, effectively preventing the use of the park as a through route between Poole Town Centre and Sandbanks Road.

‘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.’

Councillor Andy Hadley, BCP Council’s portfolio holder for the environment, said any issue of increased traffic congestion in the area around the park would be considered when deciding to make the closure permanent.

He said: ‘We need to see how the trial progresses and to let the consultation period run its course and then take all the different views into account.

‘We are seeing all sorts of views on the matter. Some people have said that the closure had transformed the park. People are 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.’

He added: ‘We don’t have an anti-car agenda.

‘There is a challenge on our roads about the dominance of the car.

‘Cars are getting bigger and there’s more of them.’

On its website, BCP Council states that the reason for the closure was to ‘promote environmental improvements’ in Poole Park (pictured)

Cars parked in the car park for Poole Park

Cllr Hadley suggested the closure would encourage people to not use a car.

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.

‘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.’

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