Published on Tuesday 03 March 2026
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council is inviting residents, businesses and community groups to have their say on proposals to improve traffic flow and bus reliability along Purewell – a key route used by more than 46,000 bus journeys each year.
The consultation runs from Monday 2 March and closes at 11:59pm Sunday 29 March 2026 and forms part of the Council’s wider Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
Following feedback and further discussion with key stakeholders the Council has developed proposals which include:
- The strategic removal of some low-usage parking sections in the daytime to establish passing places which will improve traffic flow for all road users.
- Current evening, overnight and Sunday parking provision remain unchanged.
- Additional parking provision where available.
- Busiest parking sections near to shops remain unchanged.
Councillor Andy Hadley, Cabinet Member for Climate Response, Environment and Energy, said:
“Residents told us they wanted a balanced approach that keeps the area moving while protecting access to homes and businesses. These updated proposals reflect that feedback. By improving traffic flow and making bus journeys more reliable, we can help everyone – whether they travel by bus, car, bike or on foot – while supporting local shops and reducing congestion for the long term.”
Purewell is served by five bus routes, with up to nine journeys per hour linking Christchurch, Highcliffe, Bournemouth, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, and destinations beyond the BCP area such as New Milton and Lymington. Additional school, Ringwood and summer open‑top services also operate along this corridor.
However, journey times along this stretch can be highly variable with the two‑minute journey between Purewell Cross Roundabout and Stony Lane has taking over 13 minutes in some cases. This disruption can cause services to be unreliable, reducing passenger confidence in using these services and increasing their cost to operate.
View the designs and have your say at haveyoursay.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/bus-service-improvement-plan-purewell.