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