As temporary measures at Julian’s Bridge bring Wimborne to a standstill, a debate starts on how historic infrastructure can meet modern demands without losing its character
It is fair to say that motorists would do well to avoid Wimborne for the immediate future.
On May 26, Dorset Council introduced temporary traffic lights and a one-way traffic system over Julians Bridge, a primary route out of town towards Corfe Mullen and Purbeck.
The other half of the bridge is given over to cyclists and pedestrians, with DC pondering future use of the Grade I, 400-year-old bridge.
“We will trial shuttle signals to assess the feasibility of signals, collect data and monitor displaced traffic, as well as traffic speeds and journey times in the area – before, during and after the trial,” said a spokesman.
All very worthy … unless you happen to live in Wimborne.
Residents flocked to Facebook in the first week of the six-week trial to highlight long traffic jams, clogged streets, delayed school runs, missed appointments and pollution. A poll asked whether light controls worked: NO! shouted 95 per cent of the 411 votes cast.
It is essentially a very Dorset problem of narrow roads, more houses and bigger traffic.
’The problem is the huge number of new houses all around Wimborne on every exit,’ says resident Sharon Wheeler on Facebook. ‘All these new houses have a car or two – even three. Wimborne is basically one great big traffic jam.’
John Collins, who went to school in Wimborne and still lives there, adds: ‘The bridge was built to accommodate pedestrians, horses and carts in the 1700s. It is quite unsuitable for the current volume of traffic, especially with the escalation of building and resident numbers in the Wimborne area.’
What’s the solution, John? He says: ‘The time has come to replace it with a modern bridge to deal with modern traffic.’
Well, yes. However, English Heritage, the bridge’s custodian, doesn’t want a new cantilevered footbridge so close by, overshadowing history.
The arguments run to and fro.
The bridge normally has a double carriageway with an average width of 5.4m, for two-way traffic. As is common with bridges of this age, pedestrians have to walk in the carriageway (50m), using the three refuges positioned within the parapets on each side to avoid traffic.
Cllr Jon Andrews, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Place Services, says: ‘ Julians Bridge is an important historic structure and we understand people’s concerns that crossing it on foot can feel uncomfortable and even unsafe. This trial allows us to test a practical option that could make a real difference for pedestrians, while keeping traffic moving.’
A need for persuasion
Some say that the bridge isn’t used by many walkers so a pedestrian light button to stop traffic would suffice. No – that would make traffic worse, say others. According to DC records, there have been 12 incidents of vehicles colliding with the bridge parapets in the last 25 years, requiring repairs. There have also been five injury collisions reported in the last five years.
It would appear that the logical answer would be to build a separate footbridge, possibly in wood or aluminium, and revert to traffic on the bridge.
But English Heritage needs to be persuaded – and that usually involves data and compelling arguments.
So could it be that Dorset Council has deliberately chosen a busy period of year to boost stats and illustrate the need for a separate foot and cycleway bridge? As DC admits, it has knowingly chosen to have the trial during the busy Wimborne Folk Festival (12th-14th June).
Its monitoring will reveal long traffic delays and increased travel times, and a DC page welcoming resident’s views will be incendiary.
‘This is my view heading into Wimborne’ wrote motorist Elizabeth Smith, sitting in a long line of traffic. Such fiercely negative local reaction to a permanent one-way, traffic light-controlled bridge will further bolster the council’s case.
There is an indication of other local reaction from the Joint Working Group (JSG) of affected local councils, from Andy Todd of Colehill, who says on his social media: ’This trial etc will not be popular, it will be inconvenient, but it is expected to prove that traffic lights are not a viable solution for this listed bridge, and thus justify spending the public’s money building a separate pedestrian crossing. Trust the process. It will be worth it in the end.’
An anonymous writer on Facebook puts another point: ‘Of course, councillors recognised it would cause chaos as a temporary measure – but in doing so will help give the same councillors ammunition for greater support of a more permanent footbridge. Things like this have to be proven.’
It may look like a council gambit to force the hand of English Heritage and other environmental groups to agree to a new footbridge over the Stour. But other council concerns are also in play.
The five town and parish councils recognise a ‘significant’ increase in pedestrian and cyclist movements between Corfe Mullen and Wimborne, including students travelling to Queen Elizabeth’s School, commuters, families and residents, festival visitors, horse riders and recreational users.
The ambition is to create a safe, sustainable 21st-century active travel corridor between Corfe Mullen and Wimborne Minster, says the Joint Working Group, which describes the situation as a ‘Local Travel Emergency’, citing:
Increasing traffic volumes
A lack of continuous cycleways and safe crossing infrastructure
Unsafe walking and cycling conditions
Growing populations in both communities
But there is a stumbling block: if Sturminster Newton Bridge over the Stour on the B3092 can create a working traffic light shuttle system on a Grade I Listed Structure, why can’t Wimborne? Christchurch manages it too.
Given the chaos on the ground, the six-week timespan may well be shortened. Chris Peck, DC Highways Planning Officer told the JWG that the surrounding road network would be monitored during the trial – and should the impact be significant, the trial ‘could be stopped at any time’.
Otherwise, the trial will end on 3rd July and the bridge will revert to two-way traffic. Peck confirmed the trial data would be available within eight weeks, and a meeting of the JWG is scheduled for October to review the trial data.
Meanwhile, it’s probably best to avoid Wimborne unless strictly necessary.
by Steve keenan
