Officials from Dorset County Council are looking at ways to reduce the risk to pedestrians and slow traffic at a tight chicane which has been of some concern to residents in the village of Marshwood.

The road itself has no footpath and narrows at a key bend, leaving very little space for traffic to safely pass one another.

Among those currently using the road are local children heading to and from school, who at present have to use the roadside verge or cross the road and head through the adjacent field.

A spokesman for the county council said: “Our road safety team have assessed this route.

“We are currently waiting for their report to find out what they recommend for this road.

“It will then be a case of bidding for funding to carry out any works that are needed.”

Ali Edwards, Marshwood parish councillor, said: “As parish councillor I went to Dorset County Council and they sent a team down to assess the road. Ideally we would have a footpath throughout the entire village but that would be too expensive.

“The idea is there will be nothing over-engineered, there would be a slowing of the traffic at the natural pinch point, so there are no plans for a footpath.”

David Hitchcock, chairman of the Marshwood Community Land Trust, said that one solution could be found in creating a priority traffic system, effectively creating a small strip of single lane road at the natural pinch point.

He said that a new affordable housing development, soon to be named Bramblehay, built in the village sits on the opposite side of the road to other residential areas of the village and so is unaffected by the issue.

“The development is above the chicane so children heading to school would just walk up the grass verge,” he said.

Meanwhile, an existing arrangement by DCC to fund the cost of taxis to transport some students from the village to the nearby school will continue.

However, not all of the households in the village are included in the scheme, falling just outside of the allotted catchment area.

The DCC spokesman added: “We will continue current transport arrangements until a decision has been made.

“Those not included in the zone can appeal, which is decided on a case-by-case basis.”