There are set to be improvements to bus facilities and the road network in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area.

This follows approval of the Local Transport Plan by the BCP Council cabinet which will have to be agreed by full council on 23 March.

New capital improvements worth £3.5 million will be made in travel safety measures, whilst more than £4 million will be spent on highway maintenance projects including road resurfacing, drainage, bridge repair and street lighting.

The investment will complement ongoing resurfacing works already made possible by BCP Council’s successful £4 million Challenge Fund bid last year, the benefits of which have recently been seen in locations such as Somerford Roundabout in Christchurch.

Cllr Mike Greene, portfolio holder for Transport & Sustainability, said, “Investment in first rate infrastructure is a key objective in our Big Plan commitments and I am pleased to see the LTP investment planned for our highway network for 2021/22. This is one of a number of funding streams we are using to invest and improve how we all travel and as we emerge from the challenges of the pandemic. We want to harness the potential of our coastline of opportunity and make BCP a modern city region where people and businesses want to be. The quality of our travel network is central to this aim.

“The LTP capital programme will build upon the significant improvements to our local transport network that are already in progress: from making sustainable options such as walking, cycling and travelling by bus more appealing, to improving road surfaces and reducing congestion. I am particularly pleased that we have significant funding for travel safety measures and 25 per cent more for work on public transport alternatives to the car than last year. We have also allocated £50,000 to the Business Travel Network in recognition that travel and transport is not just an issue for the council in isolation.”