BCP Council Planning Application For New Walking And Cycling Bridges Over The Railway Line

A planning application has been submitted for improvements to be made to the bridge across the railway line on Glenferness Avenue, Bournemouth, to enable safer walking and cycling.

The application seeks to construct a new walking and cycling bridge over the railway line to the west of the road bridge, and the existing footbridge to the east of the road to be removed and replaced with a new wider bridge for walkers and cyclists. The road bridge would remain unchanged.

Currently, cyclists have to cross the railway line using a narrow 6 metre wide road bridge, which is over 120 years old. Safety is the main reason for this proposal as often they are squeezed close the parapet walls when vehicles overtake them on the road bridge. The new bridges would provide a separate safe space for people to walk and cycle away from road traffic and may improve the traffic flow too.

Pictures provided by BCP Council: Artist's impressions of proposed walking and cycling bridges over the railway line on Glenferness Avenue (looking south).

Glenferness Road will also see the improvements of new parallel and toucan crossings, as part of a wider 14km sustainable travel route between Bournemouth town centre and Ferndown, largely funded by a central government grant as part of the South East Dorset Transforming Cities Fund.

Public consultation was held between 24 February and 31 March last year. The responses were used to help shape the final scheme designs. The plans for the bridges and the other improvements were also presented at a public event on 10 November 2021.

A decision on the planning application for the bridge improvements is expected by Summer, and pending planning permission, work on the bridge is provisionally scheduled to commence in late 2022.