As per the report from the February 2025 meeting, here is a brief traffic update.

Following the 2024 parish survey, there was strong support for measures to reduce the speed of traffic in the village and to address a number of other vehicle related issues. In July 2024, we met with representatives from Dorset Council to discuss both speed and parking issues in the centre of the village and on Rye Hill. As a result of this meeting, we requested that an all our yellow lines be repainted, and our white lines in the village centre be either repainted, or in some cases added at various junctions. We also requested that yellow lines outside the Royal Oak be investigated, and that Green Close / Rye Hill junction be reviewed to see what safety improvements could be made. Yellow lines outside the Royal Oak have subsequently being rejected. None of our requested yellow or white lines have so far been repainted or added. We are not aware of the outcome of any review of the Green Close / Rye Hill Junction.

As a further result of the July meeting, in October 2024, Dorset Council undertook four traffic speed and volume surveys on our behalf, on Rye Hill, Southbrook, West Street and Elder Road. The results of these surveys have been published on the Bere Regis Parish Council website. In summary, they indicate that less traffic than we perhaps expected is exceeding the 30mph speed limit, with the exception of Rye Hill where levels of speeding match previous surveys, and remain unacceptable. In the centre of the village, in particular West Street, average vehicle speed is less than 20mph. On Southbrook and Elder Road, average vehicle speed is less than 30 mph. We therefore do not believe it is necessary to apply for a 20mph speed limit in the village centre at this stage.

Rye Hill remains a problem, but far more traffic was recorded as speeding coming down the hill. We still await the extension of the 30 mile an hour zone further towards Wool, and we will assess the impact on speeding traffic once this has taken place.