A safer Purewell roundabout:- public meeting to be held.

I am receiving concerns from residents about the whole safety aspect of Purewell Cross roundabout and all the junctions leading to and from in light of increased traffic activity from day to day traffic and the increase wanted from sustainable transport ie buses and cycling. These concerns include the speed of traffic at the bypass having to decelerate at the pedestrians crossing in time to negotiate the roundabout, the speed at entry to Somerford Road from the bypass with traffic ignoring road markings, the speeds entering Stanpit from Somerford (although the new crossing island has made a bigger refuge this is still a scary experience as a pedestrian) Purewell traffic volumes indicate that we should be slowing traffic down by what ever means. The number of cyclists that use the pavements here indicates safety concerns if they stay on the road mainly due to their visibility as a result of the dominance and location of the roundabout. The road camber has been brought to my attention by a motor cyclist, it appears to be all the wrong way, Police have noted this also. The commercial aspect of the junction and the overall facility for parking to shop and unloading has to be a given and some residents still call for a protected crossing at Stanpit. Whilst the new railings have added gravitas to the area it has also brought to the fore other improvements ie signage which could be made. So at the next PACT meeting this matter will be put on the agenda so that in general terms the whole of the resident structure will have a chance to voice their concerns including shop keepers from all areas at a meeting rather than one lobby group with one specific interest. What is needed is an holistic approach to the whole problem in view of increase traffic demand on this area and this to be part of Christchurch visioning with the objective of making it safer and attractive as a gateway to the area as a whole. This whole area is included in Grange School transportation plan and is a hub for school attendees at Mudeford infants and junior school. All of these suffer from the 'school drop off' syndrome and I wonder if this is because the whole experience of tackling this junction as a pedestrian is too severe for parents to allow their kids to walk to school. I would want to encourage residents, shopkeepers and all concerned to attend the Public PACT meeting on the 30th September at the Methodist Church Mudeford Lane at 7.0 pm, when this matter can be discussed and we can get some sort of direction. County highways will be asked to attend as this matter is under their control.
Some objectives set from concerns raised by residents over the last six months are:-
1) To make the roundabout and junctions safer for pedestrians, disabled persons, cyclists and other road users.
2) To maintain commercial vitality
3) To improve resident environment
4) To make the area a less stressful experience.
5) To improve journey to school experience
6) To direct traffic away from distributor roads for access to beaches
This will be a real opportunity for residents, businesses to contribute to making Purewell and Stanpit a safer and even more pleasant location to live,work and play.
I do hope the many people who have expressed concern about this matter will be there on the 30th September.