Bournemouth hospital road junction scheme scaled back

The scheme will see a new link road connecting the A338 with the Wessex Fields Business Park

Plans for a new link road to Bournemouth's main hospital are to be scaled back following a review.

Bournemouth Borough Council approved plans for the road between the A338 and the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Wessex Fields Business Park in January.

But the new Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has now agreed to shelve the northbound link phase.

BCP's cabinet agreed to continue with the southbound link road as far as the Wessex Fields site.

The former Conservative-led Bournemouth Borough Council previously said the link would unlock a major economic development site and ease congestion, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

But campaigners said it would result in the loss of green belt land and wildlife habitat.

BCP's coalition administration reviewed the scheme and, at Monday's cabinet meeting, it agreed to scrap the second phase - the northbound connection via a flyover - despite claims from Conservative councillors that it would create a "road to nowhere".

Regeneration councillor Mark Howell said: "The council has very severe financial constraints. We don't want to be spending money we don't have, nor do we want to create a rat run there.

"Our aim will be to make this as sustainable as possible."