HOLDENHURST ROAD, WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE EVIDENCE?
BCP Council is consulting on further changes to Holdenhurst Road in Bournemouth as part of its Bus Service Improvement Plan.
The proposals include restrictions on through motor traffic, alongside changes affecting Holdenhurst Road, Cotlands Road and Lansdowne Crescent. BCP says the measures are intended to reduce through traffic, create a safer and less congested area and improve bus journey reliability. Improving public transport and making bus services more reliable are important objectives but significant changes to an established traffic route should also be supported by clear evidence about the benefits, the consequences for surrounding roads and the cost to the taxpayer.
Holdenhurst Road has quite a history.
In 2020, keeping traffic moving was part of the design
Following the change to a Conservative led administration in 2020, the Lansdowne Programme was reviewed. The revised scheme retained access for all traffic on Holdenhurst Road. During scrutiny of the proposals, it was specifically recorded that allowing cars through Holdenhurst Road was intended to try to mitigate congestion in the area. BCP's report also referred to the risk of creating “further congestion to an already highly congested area” by closing a major through route to cars. Cabinet subsequently approved the revised scheme.
Then came a £4.4 million transformation
The following year, major works transformed Holdenhurst Road and the surrounding Lansdowne area. BCP's own transport documents record approximately £4.4 million of investment in Lansdowne Phases 1a and 2, including cycle facilities, improved pedestrian areas and crossings, new public spaces, street furniture, trees, planters and public art.
When construction began in 2021, BCP said Holdenhurst Road would temporarily close during the works before being “fully reopened” afterwards.
Public policy changes and transport networks evolve but five years after significant public money was invested in transforming this road, it is reasonable to ask what elements of that infrastructure will now need to be altered, removed or replaced and what the latest changes will cost.
What did residents say in 2024?
In 2024, BCP consulted on reducing through traffic between Lansdowne Roundabout and Cotlands Road, making it access only for loading, local buses, taxis and cycles.
Of the 275 people who responded to that question, 70% supported the proposal, with 21% opposed and 9% neither supporting nor opposing it. While that consultation provides useful feedback, the current decision should also be informed by the traffic modelling, predicted displacement and measurable benefits of the scheme.
Now, in 2026, BCP is undertaking the statutory Traffic Regulation Order consultation. So what has changed in the evidence? The question is not whether buses should be reliable or whether motorists should be able to drive wherever they choose. The question is whether the evidence supports this particular intervention. If retaining through traffic was previously considered important in trying to mitigate congestion, what does the traffic modelling show today?How many vehicles currently use Holdenhurst Road as a through route? Where are those vehicles expected to go instead? What effect is predicted on surrounding roads and junctions and what measurable benefit will the restriction deliver for bus passengers? How much quicker or more reliable are bus journeys actually predicted to become?
There is also a point about the current design which requires clarification. The 2024 consultation specifically described the proposed access only section as between Lansdowne Roundabout and Cotlands Road. The current statutory consultation describes changes to traffic restrictions on Holdenhurst Road from Lansdowne Roundabout to Station Roundabout, together with proposals affecting Cotlands Road and Lansdowne Crescent. BCP should make clear precisely how the current restrictions compare with what residents were shown in 2024 and identify any material changes to the design.
Residents should be able to see the evidence
There are therefore four straightforward areas where we believe greater clarity would help residents understand the proposal, traffic displacement, the predicted improvement to bus journeys, any differences between the 2024 and 2026 designs and the cost and implications of altering a road which received substantial public investment only five years ago. This should not be reduced to an argument between buses and cars.
In 2020, retaining through traffic was identified as a way of trying to mitigate congestion. In 2021, approximately £4.4 million was invested in transforming the area. In 2024, 70% of respondents to the relevant consultation question supported restricting through traffic on the section presented to them. All three facts matter. The question in 2026 is therefore simple, what does the current evidence tell us?
The statutory consultation remains open until 9 October 2026 and residents can support, object to or comment on the proposals directly to BCP Council. Click here.
Written by Jo Keeling Deputy Chair - Political
