Designs for Victoria Road, Ferndown ready to view

Residents are invited to see the final designs for improvements to Victoria Road, Ferndown aimed at creating a more welcoming and attractive town centre.

The designs have been updated following extensive feedback from residents and businesses during a public consultation in autumn 2025.

The plans reflect what people value most about Victoria Road and how they would like it to look in the future.

View the updated designs online or in person at the Barrington Centre until 31 July 2026:

On the Ferndown Town Council website

On the Dorset Council website

In person at the Ferndown Town Council offices, The Barrington Centre, Pennys Walk, Ferndown, BH22 9TH (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm)

What will Victoria Road look like?

The improvements are designed to create a welcoming “avenue” feel in the town centre, while helping to improve safety and prevent  parking on the footways. The scheme includes:

• Kerbside plant beds, constructed into the footway, along the edge of the road with heritage-style bollards. Together, these will discourage footway parking 
• Nine large built-in planters (two with benches) for ornamental trees along the length of Victoria Road
• Seating areas along both sides of the road, with integrated planting
• New street furniture, including benches, cycle stands and litter bins, in a matching heritage style

These changes aim to soften the street scene, add greenery and provide more places to sit and meet, while keeping the road accessible.

Cllr Jon Andrews, Dorset Council Cabinet Member for Place Services, said:
“Victoria Road is at the heart of Ferndown, and these improvements are about making it a welcoming place to spend time, meet friends and support local businesses.

“The designs reflect what residents and businesses told us, and it’s great to see the project moving forward. Thank you to everyone for being so engaged.”

Cllr Lawrence Wilson, Mayor of Ferndown, said: “Ferndown Town Council is delighted that the final designs have been completed. The project team has tailored the scheme to match as closely as possible to the responses in the consultation. 

“This will provide us with a town centre we can all be proud of. We look forward to  continuing to work with Dorset Council to improve our community.”

Autumn start

Work is expected to start in autumn 2026 and take under 10 weeks to complete. Victoria Road will remain open throughout with access to all shops maintained.

Parking

Parking was a key concern for residents raised during consultation. As part of the updated plans, proposals have been developed to improve short-stay parking provision nearby.

This includes:

• Up to eight short stay parking spaces in two marked bays on Princes Road, helping to support local businesses
• A new on-road loading bay on Victoria Road
• New double yellow lines and loading restrictions to prevent obstruction of the road and accesses
• Retaining the existing two taxi rank bays on Princes Road

In an effort to address inappropriate footway parking on Victoria Road quickly, a temporary traffic regulation order banning waiting and loading in the town centre was implemented in 2025.

During the 2025 consultation, residents and businesses raised concerns about blue badge parking and loading requirements. The temporary waiting and loading restrictions on Victoria Road are being reviewed with a marked on-road loading bay proposed near the post office to support business deliveries.

 The changes would also allow blue badge holders to park at the roadside in other areas of the town centre.

These proposals will require changes to Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) so they may not be implemented until after the Victoria Road works are complete.

The TRO is statutory legal process and subject to a public consultation before any changes are confirmed. Further details, including how to comment, will be published on our traffic regulation orders webpages.   

The project is a partnership between Ferndown Town Council, Dorset Council and Litter Free Dorset to reinvigorate Victoria Road. to create a more welcoming, accessible and attractive space that supports local businesses and the community.