'THE PEOPLE of Bridport are being threatened rather than being engaged in a serious dialogue' - That's the view of civic leaders concerning plans for the future of a Bridport roundabout.

Two options have been presented for the Crown roundabout, which has been the topic of much debate in recent months with complaints piling up about its current state.

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Highways England offered up the two solutions, but gave a tight deadline of the end of August for a decision.

Bridport Town Council received the proposal earlier this month. The first option is to completely clear all trees and shrubs and return to a flat, grassed roundabout. The second is to retain the central elements of trees and shrubs, but to substantially reduce their size, in doing so removing some trees and shrubs around the periphery of the roundabout.

In the proposal, Highways England stated that should the first option be chosen it would be irreversible and also that an answer would need to be given by the end of the month.

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Councillor Ian Bark, the mayor of Bridport, said: "On reading the proposed options I was struck by the fact that the people of Bridport were being threatened rather than being engaged in a serious dialogue.

"The first option can only be described as a nuclear option and is one step away from completely concreting the roundabout over in order to remove any need for ongoing maintenance, as such it is not worth spending any time discussing its merits here because there are none.

"Given the tardy manner in which Highways England has maintained the roundabouts over recent years I would envisage them both rapidly becoming unkempt overgrown waste lands once again if this option is adopted."

Cllr Bark said that whilst the second proposal has more merit, it would be reliant on properly digging out the bramble bushes that have overwhelmed the trees and shrubs, or else the roundabout would quickly return to its former state.

He added: "Sadly I suspect Highways England have already made up their mind what is going to be done and it would not surprise me if the work to carry out their preferred option has not already been scheduled.

"I strongly urge Highways England to think again, and enter into a meaningful dialogue about the long-term future of our two gateway roundabouts before any work is undertaken.

"The two ‘gun at the head’ options currently on offer from Highways England are wholly inappropriate and unacceptable and a more attractive and environmentally friendly solution in keeping with the spirit of Bridport can and must be achieved."

Bridport Town Council has proposed a number of ideas for sculptures on the roundabout that would represent the town, but Highways England said it will not consider this due to safety concerns.

Stephen Potts, Service Manager for Highways England, said: “At Highways England, safety is our number one priority and as such, we have to ensure the design and upkeep of our roundabouts provide good visibly and are safe for motorists.

“Following complaints about visibility on the Crown roundabout from local residents, we are taking action to ensure it is safe and can be properly maintained. We have two options - either to cut back the flowers on site and replace with grass, or remove them completely.

“We have discussed the options at length with Bridport Town Council and will continue to liaise with the council on the safety of the roundabout. We appreciate members will be disappointed that it is not possible to have monuments on the roundabout for safety and maintenance reasons but we will continue to engage with the council on the maintenance of the roundabout in a productive manner.”