A PARTIAL road closure in Poole Park will be trialled throughout July, it has been announced.

Traffic will be barred from travelling between the middle car park, near the roundabout, and the Kitchen Restaurant, between 4-6pm, Monday to Friday.

This move, linked to the park’s Heritage Lottery Funding bid, effectively bars evening rush-hour traffic from using the park as a cut through from Poole town centre to Sandbanks Road.

Bournemouth Echo:

Hundreds of motorists use the route, as an alternative to queuing along Parkstone Road to the Civic Centre gyratory system.

Borough of Poole’s Poole Park Life Project manager Martin Whitchurch said: “This trial provides an opportunity to assess the impact of a new road closure in the afternoon when a lot of traffic uses Poole Park as a short cut.

“All of the businesses in the park will be open and accessible, because only the central section of road either side of the war memorial will be closed off.

“We will be monitoring the effect of the closure and are grateful for the public’s co-operation and understanding through this trial and will be interested to hear their views.”

For the duration of the trial, which will be monitored by council officers, the park will open to vehicles one hour earlier, at 9am.

The borough says feedback during the previous public consultation on Poole Park clearly showed park users wanted traffic reduced during peak times.

Borough of Poole’s bid to secure £2.7 million heritage Lottery Fund money for Poole Park will be submitted at the end on February 2017.

Throughout the trial road closure council officers will be seeking the views of residents and park visitors.

Between July 11 and August 6 people will be asked detailed questions to help shape the final park design element of the lottery bid.

Earlier this month a giant mosaic made up of thousands of photos of life in Poole - and celebrating 125 years of Poole Park - was unveiled by Poole Mayor Cllr Xena Dion.

It included thousands of photographs provided by local residents, who also made donations to the park.