Update 17/09/2026

Local residents living in and around the Mampitts area of Shaftesbury are directly affected by the permanent closure of Mampitts Road at Pound Lane. Residents were initially informed via advance notice signage that the road would close on 17 August 2026 for approximately 8 weeks of essential works. However, before that stated works period had even concluded, Dorset Council brought a permanent restriction into legal force on 4 September 2026, just two and a half weeks after the works began, significantly altering our daily routines by forcing us onto less convenient alternative routes such as Allen Road and Greenacre Way.

The current situation presents real challenges for residents. The increased traffic on these diverted roads leads to longer travel times and heightened congestion, with knock-on safety concerns for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. Notably, Dorset Council's own independent Inspector, when assessing this scheme, acknowledged that traffic displaced onto Allen Road was likely to result in vehicle speeds exceeding the posted limit there. This is a concern that residents are now in a position to confirm or challenge with real, post-implementation evidence. Many residents also now face significantly longer and less direct routes to reach shops, schools, and workplaces, which affects day-to-day quality of life.

We are asking Dorset Council to review the decision to permanently close Mampitts Road at Pound Lane and to consider reopening it to motor vehicles in one direction. By doing so, we believe it is possible to strike a balance between maintaining necessary traffic-calming and safety measures while providing residents with a more direct and efficient route through the area.

A controlled one-way arrangement could ease congestion on the diversion routes, reduce unnecessary travel distances, and support better access to local shops and services for residents. We urge the Council to listen to the people directly affected by this closure and to reassess the scheme in light of how it is actually functioning, rather than only the assumptions made before it came into force.

Please join us in calling on Dorset Council to reevaluate this decision and work towards a solution that benefits the whole community of Shaftesbury. Your signature can help restore the accessibility and connectivity that our neighbourhood previously had.

Help us gather more evidence — 2-minute survey

Thank you to everyone who has signed so far. We’re now collecting more detailed evidence on how the closure is actually affecting residents day to day. If you have 2 minutes, please fill in this short survey — every response helps when we present this to Dorset Council:

https://forms.gle/1xG1nrCqzXtsJkHV9

29/09/2026 

Update: Shaftesbury Town Council has agreed to fund professional traffic surveys

On 29 September, Shaftesbury Town Council held an Extraordinary Full Council meeting to discuss the Mampitts Road / Pound Lane bus gate. Around 25 residents attended, and a number of residents spoke about their experiences and concerns regarding the current arrangement.

After the discussion, councillors voted 6–4, with 1 abstention, to spend around £1,600 on professional 7-day traffic surveys covering six roads: Allen Road, Greenacre Way, Pound Lane, Mampitts Lane, Christy’s Lane and Salisbury Road. The surveys are expected to take place in November.

The petition had reached 656 signatures by the meeting, and the anonymous residents’ survey had received 286 responses, including 239 written comments.

The survey summary and supporting information were provided to the Town Council, and a copy of the PDF was left for councillors to review. I had also prepared a short statement, which another resident kindly read out on my behalf during the meeting.

The survey was discussed during the meeting, and Cllr Nigel Heritage described it as a genuine survey that did not try to predetermine the outcome.

The decision to fund the professional traffic surveys was the result of the wider discussion involving councillors and residents who took the time to attend and speak. It was not the work of one person — it was a contribution from many people who have taken part in this process.

The petition has now been viewed 3,040 times.

Thank you to everyone who has signed, shared the petition, completed the survey, left a comment, attended the meeting or simply taken the time to follow what is happening.

The next important step is to see what the professional traffic data shows once the surveys are carried out.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18ZTobgsLr/?mibextid=wwXIfr

UPDATE - Dorset Council's position on the bus gate itself

We recently came across an earlier statement from Dorset Council, shared via Town Councillor Greg Williams, which is worth residents knowing about.

The response, from the then Dorset Council cabinet member for Highways, confirms that the bus gate requirement was set by the Planning Inspectorate 19 years ago, and that the legal window to challenge it directly (via judicial review) has now passed. It also confirms there is no requirement for Dorset Council to monitor the ongoing impact, since both inspectors involved concluded the bus gate was necessary.

This is exactly why this petition has never asked Dorset Council to remove the bus gate outright. What we are asking for, a review of how it is actually functioning now it is in place, and consideration of a controlled one-way arrangement, remains realistic and within the Council's own discretion, even though the original scheme itself cannot be legally reopened.

A few other useful points from that response: responsibility for Highways has since passed to Cllr Jack Jeanes. Enforcement of the bus gate can be suspended for emergency services, there will be no physical barrier, and it will eventually be ANPR camera controlled. The proposed northern link onto Wincombe Lane was considered during the original inquiry and was not taken forward at that time.

Shaftesbury Town Council has said it can still build a case for further mitigation measures, but that this needs broad community support, which is exactly what this petition and survey are continuing to build.

Full context here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DTp1wKYRg/?mibextid=wwXIfr

UPDATE 21/09/2026 – Speed humps installed at the Mampitts Road bus gate

While the road remains closed for the current works, I recently visited the site and noticed two raised speed humps/speed cushions installed within the short section of road at the Mampitts Road / Pound Lane junction.

This raises a question about how these features are intended to operate once the permanent restriction is fully in place.

The current arrangement restricts motor vehicles, with access permitted for local buses and pedal cycles. Given that this is a very short section of road and buses are among the vehicles permitted to use it, it would be helpful to understand the purpose of these raised features and what traffic-management objective they are intended to achieve.

I have added photographs taken at the site to document the current works and the two raised features.

We believe residents should be able to understand how the different elements of the scheme are intended to work together, particularly now that the permanent restriction has been introduced.

The petition and residents’ survey remain open:

Residents’ survey:

https://forms.gle/1xG1nrCqzXtsJkHV9

Thank you to everyone who has already signed, shared the petition or taken the time to complete the survey.