PARTS of the A338 could be widened to three lanes and a new link road built to the airport.

BCP Council included the plans in the draft local plan, which has now been submitted to ministers for independent examination, as a ‘strategically important transport scheme’.

This scheme would see parts of the A338 widened to three lanes between the Ashley Heath roundabout and the Blackwater junction.

A new grade-separated junction would be built, with a new link road from the A road to the airport and the Eastern Business Park.

Policy T4 in the plan, for transport infrastructure, says any developments should not “prejudice the opportunity to deliver strategically important transport schemes as listed in the appendix 2”.

Listed on Appendix two is the A338 widening scheme.

A council spokesperson said widening the entire road between the roundabout and the junction is ‘unlikely to be required’.

However, the spokesperson said some short sections of the five-mile stretch of road may need to be widened to three lanes to accommodate planned growth in the future.

The plans to create a new link road to the airport were part of a highway scheme declared by the then-Dorset County Council before the formation of BCP Council in 2019.

BCP Council continues to declare this scheme, which would create a road that would connect the A338 to Matchams Lane and then connect with the Eastern Business Park.

The scheme was originally identified by the county council as needed due to assumed growth at the airport and the nearby business parks.

There are no timescales for any of this work to take place as it stands, with any development of plans subject to funding, which would be sought through competitive bidding opportunities as and when they become available.

The local plan’s infrastructure delivery plan includes details on a suspected £40million scheme for between the A338 Blackwater to the Aviation Business Park, as a part of the BIG Programme phase two.

The first phase of this, the Bournemouth International Growth Programme, was completed in 2021 after £49.5million in investment.

The second phase would address the undelivered improvements that were a part of this scheme, improving access to the airport along the B3073 corridor and would run up to 2039.

The infrastructure delivery programme also shows plans for a Bournemouth Airport package, which would cost an estimated £125million up to 2039.

This would include a collection of walking, cycling and public transport schemes to improve access to the airport and business parks.

No money has been secured for either of these schemes, to date.