FOUR schemes to improve a busy Poole through route at a cost of £1million are about to go out for public consultation.

The options to make travel easier along Ashley Road have been worked up following responses from 1,300 people giving their ideas for making life better as part of the Three Towns Travel project.

Four improvement schemes have been drawn up with a further nine upgrades due when funding is available.

“We had a great response from local people during the previous public engagement exercise and we are keen to keep the momentum going,” said Cllr Xena Dion, cabinet portfolio holder for transportation.

“We are proposing four improvement schemes that we believe will make the biggest difference to the road.”

The major schemes involve a different layout to the Mansfield Road junction, providing more pedestrian crossings, de-cluttering signs, cyclist priority and signals linked to the Richmond Road junction at a cost of £200,000.

The Richmond Road junction would be similarly improved at a cost of £240,000.

Improving the air quality of a road which falls below the pollution standard is a priority of big changes to the central area from Churchill Road to Albert Road.

This would include reducing the road width with a wider footway and the possible loss of six parking spaces at a cost of £550,000. The fourth scheme, from Weymouth Road to Mansfield Road aims to minimise the impact of parking bays and loading bays on through traffic at a cost of £2,500.

ONLINE FORM

An online form about the proposals will be available from Monday at boroughofpoole.com/threetownstravel Council staff will be on hand to listen to residents’ views on Wednesday, July 24 at St John’s Church Hall from 12.30pm to 8pm.

There will be another session on Wednesday, August 7 at the Bookworm Shop and Tearooms, opposite Edward Road, from 10am to 2.30pm. And a third one is on Tuesday, August 13 at Branksome Library in Ashley Road from 1pm to 6pm.