SPEED bumps and a 20mph limit could be added to a Dorchester road where a ‘no entry – except for access’ order is being widely ignored.

The worst culprits are said to be professional drivers – according to Victoria Road residents.

The order was brought in last year when cars and vans started using the quiet road as a cut through when some turns into Cornwall Road were banned at the nearby Great Western Cross junction.

The Dorset Council area planning is now being asked to press ahead with the new restrictions, which some residents claim will make no difference. Councillors are being told that there is almost no chance of police taking action to enforce the ‘no access’ order as they have more important priorities.

The new restrictions, if approved at a meeting on Wednesday 21st, will also apply to other roads off Victoria Road – Westover Road, St Helens Road and part of Albert Road, all to the west of Cornwall Road.

But even if the committee agrees the orders they will have to also be approved by the council Cabinet.

Three residents have formally objected to the 20mph and humps proposal, with 8 others making either neutral or positive comments.

The area planning committee will be told at its meeting in Sturminster Newton that the estimated cost of the works will be £90,000.

“The proposals should further deter inappropriate use of a quiet residential street by unsuitable through traffic,” says an officer report to the committee.

A traffic count after the ‘no turn’ orders were made at the Great Western Cross junction showed a 17 per cent increase in north bound traffic (from 194 to 227 vehicles) in Victoria Road and a 12 per cent increase in two-way flow, from 370 to 415 vehicles.

85 per cent of the vehicles were travelling at less than 25mph.

“Creation of the 20mph zone with introduction of road humps is intended to deter disregard of the existing ‘access only’ order and curtail the speed of those vehicles travelling in excess of the 85th percentile speed,” said a report to the committee.

In the consultation several residents were convinced that the humps and reduced speed would make no difference.

One St Helen’s Road resident told the council that unless the banned turns into Cornwall Road at Great Western Cross are reinstated through traffic will continue to use Victoria Road despite the speed limit and road humps and that the 20mph limit would be ‘irrelevant’ because most traffic was already close to that speed.

Another said the works are unnecessary and a waste of public funds which would bring in 24-hour street lighting because the humps need to be lit during darkness.

A Victoria Road resident claimed that the majority who ignore the no access order are “taxi drivers, delivery drivers and driving schools.”

One objector has questioned the legitimacy of the proposal to proceed with the scheme when only 36% of the households affected responded to the public consultation.

Drivers coming into the Great Western Cross junction from Damers Road and wanting to travel north towards County Hall and the Top o Town roundabout have faced a tortuous route since the 'no left turn' order into Cornwall Road was introduced.

Assuming they have missed, or do no known about the Williams Avenue route, their journey then takes them down Great Western Road to face an awkward left turn at the busy five-ways junction into Trinity Street, to then face a set of lights at the end and a turn left into High West Street followed by a turn right at the Top o' Town roundabout, generally adding 10-15 minutes to the journey..

Traffic coming to the junction in the opposite direction finding themselves unable to turn right into Cornwall Road then have to find their way back to the Top o’ Town roundabout via Williams Avenue and Bridport Road.

Critics have argued that the ban on certain turns at the junction achieves little, other than pushing more traffic into already busy town centre streets.