Bournemouth clifftop road closed in 'active travel' plan

The road will be closed in front of The Commodore pub

Two sections of coastal road in Bournemouth are to be closed to improve the area for walkers and cyclists.

Cars will no longer be able use part of Overcliff Drive in Boscombe and Southbourne.

The experimental measures between Shelley Park and Chessel Avenue, and between Portman Crescent and Seaward Avenue, will begin on 24 August.

A similar proposal for the East Overcliff was scrapped following objections from hoteliers.

Bollards and timber planters will be installed in the Boscombe and Southbourne sections of the clifftop road, funded by the government's Emergency Active Travel Funding.

The closed section between Portman Crescent and Seaward Avenue will be 55 metres-long (180ft), while the other at Shelley Park is 18 metres (60ft).

Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council said access to properties, parking spaces and businesses would be maintained.

A six-month consultation on the scheme is under way to decide whether it should be made permanent.

The authority had previously proposed closing East Overcliff Drive between Manor Road and Meyrick Road until hotels raised concerns about the impact on their businesses.