Wimborne Road Proposed Walking and Cycling Improvements

Work on walking, cycling and bus improvements along Wimborne Road, between Denmark Lane and the New Inn junction is underway. It forms part of TCF’s 7km sustainable travel route between Poole town centre and Merley, Poole.

An artist's impression: Wimborne Road, Poole (looking north, at the junction with Tatnam Road and Garland Road).

What is happening:

Improvements along Wimborne Road between Serpentine Road and Kings Close (up to the New Inn junction) include:

• Improving the Serpentine Road roundabout with three new parallel crossings on raised tables, with footways converted to shared use for both pedestrians and cyclists
• Installing new cycle lanes on both sides of Wimborne Road between Heckford Road and New Inn junction, protected from the carriageway by a kerb with raised table priority over adjoining roads. All parking will be removed along the western side of the road between Tatnam Road and New Inn junction to provide the space for the cycle lanes
• Installing a new uncontrolled crossing point with tactile paving and dropped kerbs at St Margaret’s Road. The dedicated right-turn lane on Wimborne Road will be removed, but right-turn movements into St Margaret’s Road will still be possible
• Upgrading the Tatnam Road/Garland Road junction, with raised table parallel crossings over the adjoining roads and toucan crossings installed to the south and north of the junction. The dedicated right-turn lanes on Wimborne Road will be removed, but right-turn movements into Tatnam Road and Garland Road will still be possible
• Installing a new zebra crossing on Garland Road
• Installing a new pedestrian crossing just north of Sherrin Close/Winterbourne Road junction
• Introducing shared space at bus stops, with five stops being slightly relocated

Click here to view the design plan.

Improvements at the New Inn junction on Wimborne Road:

The Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) at the southern end of Darbys Lane was made permanent in February 2022, allowing the design of the New Inn junction to progress.  The plans include:  

• Dedicated space for cyclists linking to/from Darbys Lane, new crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists, traffic signal upgrades, and barriers removed for cyclists accessing Mellstock Road
• Widening pavements and converting them to shared use, providing more space for people cycling and walking around the junction
• No left-turn from Fernside Road into Wimborne Road and the removal of the dedicated turning lane to provide space for the new crossings

Click here to view the design plans

News update, Wimborne Road resurfacing project

During June 2023, and alongside the TCF improvements, Wimborne Road in Poole will receive a total resurface from Kings Close near the town centre, through New Inn Junction and up to Daisy Close, Oakdale.  This work, which is being funded though BCP Council’s highways maintenance budget, is part of our ongoing highways maintenance programme. We are taking the opportunity to complete this work at the same time as the TCF work, so as to limit disruption and help save on costs.

More information on this work can be found on Highways Maintenance Page

What are we going to do and when:

Construction along Wimborne Road started on 16 May 2022 and is being undertaken in sections.

The first phase of work focused on improvements along Wimborne Road between Serpentine Road and Stadium Way and was substantially completed at the end of December 2022.

The second phase of work started on 9 January at the New Inn junction on Wimborne Road and is due to finish in summer 2023. Improvements include:

• Dedicated space for cyclists linking to/from Darby’s Lane, new crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists, traffic signal upgrades, and barriers removed for cyclists accessing Mellstock Road
• Widening pavements and converting them to shared use, providing more space for people cycling and walking around the junction
• No left-turn from Fernside Road into Wimborne Road and the removal of the dedicated turning lane to provide space for the new crossings

The installation of the new cycle lanes on both sides of Wimborne Road between Heckford Road and New Inn junction is scheduled to start later in 2023.

Traffic management

The second phase of work on sustainable travel improvements along Wimborne Road started at the junction with Fernside Road on Monday 9 January. 

Temporary traffic signals will be in place at the New Inn junction from 7pm on 8 January until July 2023.  Delays are expected.  Please allow extra time for your journeys and plan an alternative route where possible.

The junction of Darby’s Lane with Wimborne Road will be temporarily closed to cyclists during this period. For safety reasons cyclists will need to dismount and walk their bikes through this junction.

This page will be updated with the latest traffic management and project information; affected businesses and residents will be informed around two weeks beforehand. You can stay up to date with the latest news by signing up to our TCF newsletter and following us on social media.

Public Consultation

Public consultation on these plans was undertaken 24 February to 31 March 2021. All responses were analysed and helped shape the final scheme designs and a report summarising the results of consultation published in addition to our responses to the issues raised.  A public information event about the Wimborne Road scheme was held in November 2021.