Weymouth Newtons Cove development: Boot Hill traffic still a concern

As reported, Poole-based Juno Developments wants to build up to 141 homes, a 60-bed care home and office block, restaurant and leisure facilities including a gym / swimming pool at the former Bincleaves QinetiQ site near Weymouth’s Nothe Gardens. 

The developer has made revisions after taking feedback on board - including a reduction in the height of some of the buildings. 

In response to traffic concerns the developer said the reduction in unit numbers and better onsite parking provisions could alleviate the issue.

The developer has submitted revised plans, and intends to make some buildings lower than the original proposal (Image: Juno Developments)

Pollution and traffic jams on Boot Hill 

But the amendments have done little to allay fears of additional traffic and pollution for people living near a section of the A354 Rodwell Road - Boot Hill – a major route through Weymouth which has previously achieved the dubious accolade of being among Dorset’s most polluted roads.

• Read more: Boot Hill in Weymouth exceeds WHO safe limits on air pollution

Weymouth resident Steve Elsworth said the developers initially appeared to be open to suggestions from residents but traffic concerns have not been addressed.

“Boot Hill, as usual, will bear the brunt of the new traffic,” Mr Elsworth said.

“(The road) already exceeds double the World Health organisation guidelines for air pollution - if this development goes ahead as planned, Boot Hill will become the air pollution cesspit of Weymouth.”

Concerns over traffic and air pollution on Boot Hill remain after a developer revised proposals for a development at Newton's Cove (Image: Dorset Echo)

Mr Elsworth urged the developer to think about the wider community. He suggested that the developer could fund additional bus services to the train station during rush hours, and suggested that they could bring supplies to the site via sea or electric lorries to reduce pollution.

He also suggested that the developer could subsidise land train passes for residents of the development, which would enable them to access town without a car.

• Read more: New waterfront development proposed at former Bincleaves QinetiQ site in Weymouth

Chapelhay resident Paul Glossop said: “The developer seems to have glibly pushed aside the traffic concerns. That’s the main issue here for locals – obviously I care about the view and it’s a good thing they’re making the buildings lower  – but if I’m honest, for the people who have to sit in traffic every morning on Boot Hill to get to work or on the school run - it’s the extra cars that will make life more difficult.

"Do we even need another care home? That’s the other thing that springs to mind.”

How the proposed scheme might look (Image: Juno Developments)

Joyce Stone, who lives near Boot Hill in the Chapelhay area of Weymouth, said: “There’s no way they can build such a big development and expect it to not bring a load more cars up Boot Hill.”

• Read more: 'Bincleaves plan will increase pollution on Boot Hill, Weymouth'

Juno Developments statement

In response to concerns and suggestions raised by residents Juno's director James Dean said:

The Weymouth Land Train is marketed for sightseeing and is aimed at the tourist market. The applicant has discussed the potential to bring buses to the application Site with highways officers at Dorset County Council. However, there is unlikely to be sufficient bus travel demand generated by the development to make a new bus service economically viable in the long term. The servicing of the Site has been carefully considered and the scheme has been designed to accommodate a range of delivery vehicles. The applicant and the eventual end-users are not able to dictate that delivery vehicles be electric. However, the development will make a positive contribution to the current transition to electric vehicles through the provision of EV charging points within the scheme.

The Transport Assessment (TA) and subsequent TA Addendum adopts industry-standard methodology for assessing the traffic impact of the development proposal. Pre-application discussions were undertaken with Dorset County Council highways and the scope, parameters and methodologies adopted in the TA report were agreed. Dorset County Council highways officers have not raised any concerns about the conclusions drawn in the Transport Assessment reports.

It is also acknowledged that the application site is a previously developed brownfield site and, when this was operational, it generated traffic movements on the local roads. The site has also been granted planning consent granted in 2016 for a care village. The TA concludes that the proposed development does not generate a significant net increase in traffic when compared with the former use and 2016 planning consent.

In terms of air quality impacts, the application is supported by a detailed air quality assessment, which provides an assessment of air quality against local air quality data obtained from Dorset Council. This confirms that the proposed development will not result in significant air pollution effects as a result of the proposed development. This is also the case for the Boot Hill area.

Accordingly, the development would have a not significant effect on air pollution in the area. In addition, the number of car parking spaces is minimised to assist in reducing the reliance on the private car as a mode of transport and to encourage more sustainable modes such as walking and cycling. A transition away from the private car will bring positive improvements to local air quality and assist in transitioning to a low carbon economy and dealing with the climate change emergency.  

As part of the development process of the proposed scheme, the need for a care home has been assessed, with a care home assessment provided as part of the application. The assessment has demonstrated that there is a need for a care home in this location, and in addition the design, location, and scale of the care home has been informed by an identified occupier who has shown interest in the site, which has shown there is market interest for a care home in this location.