A four year multi-million funding settlement allocates £2.2million capital funding until 2029/30, along with an additional £705,869 in revenue allocation until 2028/29.
The plans include new crossings for several roads, new cycle lanes, designs for future projects such as a accessible cycling hub, secure cycle parking in town and district centres, and improved access to green spaces.
At a full council meeting on March 24 Councillor Gavin Wright proposed that the works to the existing cycling and walking route from Poole Park to Broadstone way should be replaced with improvements to the cycle route between Border Drive and Foreland Road in Turlin Moor, Hamworthy. The proposal would have been completed with the budget that was already allocated.
Cllr Wright said: “Any change at this time between to the road between the two lakes in Poole Park would not improve walking or cycling it is already a perfectly good road. far better use of the £250,000 would be to improve the cycle path around Turlin Moor Recreation Ground which goes from Border Drive to Foreland Road. This route would benefit from improvement it’s constantly flooding and is only really usable in the hottest summer months.
“If the stretch was linked up s it would enable anyone to go right from Policemans Lane down to Hamworthy park and straight to Poole quay. Without having to touch the very busy Blandford road.
“A lot of the money allocated is going to be used for planting and I don’t think that is what active travel funding should be used for, it should be used for improving cycle routes. “
Councillor Peter Cooper said: “This is a fleet of foot thing that has been dumped down” he added “I agree with the idea but not the way that it has been implemented so I am against this”
Councillor Chris Rigby said: “I don’t object to the idea, but also I am not exactly in favour of it as I don’t know enough about it.”
Councillor David d’Orton-Gibson said: “The basic proposal at the moment looks at upgrading facilities that are already accurate,” he added “we should not be spending this money on ‘tidying something up’ but looking to invest it in a place where we can reduce accidents and improve safety”.
The amendment was voted on with eight councillors voting for, 39 voting against and four abstaining.
The overall £2.9million funding for active travel was approved in a vote 43 to 8 in favour.