A SMALL majority of residents are in favour of a controversial traffic experiment which has seen HGVs diverted through a small village.

People living along the A350 and C13 between Blandford and Shaftesbury were asked for opinions on proposals to improve the two routes.

In an effort to reduce congestion, highways chiefs at Dorset County Council put up signs directing southbound HGVs to use the narrow C13 road in Melbury Abbas instead of the main A350 Shaftesbury-Blandford road which runs parallel to it.

Northbound HGVs remain unaffected and the idea is to create an unofficial one-way system for lorries. It is part of a £2.5m strategy to improve the A350.

Melbury Abbas has been blighted by traffic jams due to the proposals - it is getting blocked up to 20 times a week according to locals.

The Echo reported in July how an ambulance on a blue-light call got stuck in the village when it met an oncoming HGV.

The two vehicles attempted to pass each other but ended up getting wedged in a tight space.

In June, Dorset County Council held two exhibitions for locals to review the initial design proposals of the improvement scheme, ask questions and leave feedback, with the plans and survey also available online.

DCC says 164 local residents attended the two events, held in Stourpaine and Melbury Abbas, and engineers received 109 responses, which included 41 online forms.

The authority said 54 per cent were in favour of the voluntary one way system currently in place.

Proposals to introduce a 50mph speed limit between the villages along the A350 got approval from 72 per cent of respondents, 83 per cent were in favour of a 40mph speed restriction being introduced on Spreadeagle Hill south of Melbury Abbas, and 83 per cent value vehicle activated signs to assist communicating any traffic restrictions.

Andrew Martin, service director for highways and emergency planning, said “We were very encouraged by the attendance at both events and received some very useful feedback that our design teams can take forward to the final design stage.

“We’re currently carrying out further consultation with the emergency services and the haulage industry to ensure all key stakeholders have an input into the process.

“I would like to thank the members of the public who took the time to meet our staff and discuss the proposals in such a positive manner, and those who commented online. Our design work is progressing well and we are on schedule to start on site next month.”

Drainage work at the southern end of the A350 is currently scheduled to start at the end of September, followed by kerbing work at Steepleton Bends and patching on the C13 in October/November.

Any decision on the issue of HGV routing will need approval from Cabinet, which is likely to be considered in November.

The A350/C13 route management scheme aims to improve safety and carriageway condition along the two roads and will be funded by Dorset Highways £2.4m grant from the Government’s National Productivity Investment Fund.

For more information visit www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/A350-C13-improvements