WHERE IS THE PROMISED ROUNDABOUT AT MILES CROSS BRIDPORT ?
ADVEARSE has written to all parties involved in the planning for a roundabout at Miles Cross demanding assurances that it will be built before any properties are occupied on the massive housing development at Foundry Lea, Bridport.
Miles Cross has long been an accident black spot on the A35. It was made part of the legal agreement that the developers would provide a roundabout to cope with the additional traffic generated by the housing development and associated employment businesses. ( National Highways are not responsible for the construction of the roundabout but are key players in approving the construction plans.) The legal agreement clearly stated that no occupation of houses would be permitted until the roundabout was open to traffic.
ADVEARSE had argued for the past 10 years that, in common with similar developments across the country, Dorset Council should have insisted that the roundabout should be completed before the construction on site started.
Barry Bates commented ‘Because of the failure to take that sensible decision, we now face the chaos of construction traffic approaching 2 sites in close proximity ‘
ADVEARSE has been forced to seek reassurances because houses are being erected on the site, and we are being asked on a regular basis to find out when the Roundabout work will commence. The cynics tell us it will never get built.
The last Foundry Lea newsletter was published in May 2024, and it stated work on the roundabout would start in September 2024 and be completed by September 2025. At this rate the roundabout will not be completed until well into 2026!
We have tried to get answers and have found out that the scheme has yet to be fully approved. We had hoped to find out more at the February Foundry Lea Working Group meeting, but that meeting was cancelled at the developers request because they would not have been able to answer questions about the roundabout .
The ADVEARSE letter to the developers and Dorset Council asks for reassurance on the following
Can all parties recommit to the construction of the roundabout at MC?
2. Will Dorset Planners confirm that they will uphold the legal agreement to the letter?
3. Will Dorset Councillors ensure that the Planners uphold the legal agreement.?
Barry Bates commented ‘We appreciate that this is a complex development. There will be times when the holiday traffic will mean a pause in construction. Commonsense would suggest that once the developers get the approvals to build the roundabout, they pause build construction to allow a speedy and safe completion of the roundabout.
Locals have welcomed the plans for a roundabout to tackle the dangers of this junction and are desperate for reassurance. It is vital that the Council uphold the agreement on behalf of its residents. ‘
Attachment
Copy of the letter sent to the developers (Barratt and Bovis) ; Dorset Council; the Bridport Councillors on the Dorset Council and National Highways.
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