A ROAD calming scheme being proposed for a Charminster street is unlikely to be effective, according to a council witness.

Highways expert Mark Baker, appearing for the district council at a public inquiry in Dorchester, said he doubted whether a proposed 'shared surface' traffic calming scheme would be effective.

The idea has been put forward as a way of improving safety should up to 120 homes on land south of Westleaze be allowed.

The proposal is to remove road markings and to create a 'shared surface' with the aim of slowing traffic on East Hill between Vicarage Lane and Westleaze and to make journeys safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

“There are concerns that such a surface is not safe and is unlikely to be capable of being made safe for pedestrians,” he said in evidence to the inquiry, adding that it appeared to take no account of people with disabilities, or the need for street lighting.

A large section of both East and West Hill has no pavement with two 90 degree bends at the top leading to and from Westleaze.

Mr Baker said he believed the effect of any scheme which resulted in pedestrians and cyclists feeling unsafe would be that they would simply take to their cars, adding to problems on the roads through the village.

“There are sufficient highways and transport grounds on which to dismiss the appeal on the basis that a safe and suitable access is not achieved, and as such on highways grounds there would be an unacceptable impact on highway safety,” he said.

The inquiry is hearing evidence into reasons why the district council rejected an outline consent for the development.

Resident, Paul Dollery, said that he believed the scheme would not improve the situation with drivers continuing to “tear up West Hill into East Hill and along Westleaze” to bypass Dorchester town centre.

As a resident of East Hill he said he daily saw pedestrians playing what he described as 'roulette' with buses, cars and other vehicles trying to pass each other.

“The verge outside my property is covered in tyre marks where vehicles have to mount it to pass,” he said.

He claimed the regular bus on the route frequently resulted in drivers having to reverse to get out of its way because of the narrowness of village roads, with the dangers that presented to pedestrians: “children daily dice with death on the way to school,” he said.

He also spoke about larger vehicles swinging out into the road to get around blind bends at the top of the and said he doubted claims that only a small amount of extra vehicle movements would be generated at peak times by the new homes at Westleaze. Mr Dollery said that the site itself was not within the area for free school transport into Dorchester which was likely to result in more children being driven through the village into the county town. He claimed it was also likely that with limited employment in Charminster many adults would also be driving through the village to get to work.

“We say that this development has the very real potential to put the lives of our young children, cyclists and pedestrians genuinely at risk and should be rejected,” he said.

The company, Land Value Alliances, say the revised road scheme has not been objected to by the Highways Authority and has told the inquiry that the district council only added pedestrian safety as a reason for refusal, five months after its April 2018 decision to refuse.

The inquiry continues.