RESIDENTS have vented their fury after a plan for a pedestrian crossing in a west Dorset village was rejected by Dorset Council.

People living in Burton Bradstock say there is a desperate need for a safe means of getting across the busy coast road (B3157), which runs through the village. 

The route has no pedestrian crossings and children from the nearby school regularly cross it to go to Hive Beach.

The campaign for a new crossing began earlier this year and has been led by Burton Bradstock Parish Council chairwoman Lisanne Mealing and vice-chairman Bob Ward.

A petition with nearly 100 residents' signatures on it calling for a crossing was submitted to the council.

READ MORE: Call for crossing on B3157 Coast Road, Burton Bradstock

READ MORE: Crossing in Burton Bradstock 'could take several years'

A spokesman from Dorset Council would not confirm why the plan for the crossing, which was submitted in March, was rejected.

Cllr Ward said: "I am furious. They haven't taken seriously the concerns that we outlined. Clearly their methodology is not fit for purpose.

"There are children who are trying to cross this road safely and that hasn't been taken into account.

"When they told me, I thought they were kidding.

"They told me they are not allowed to share the information about why it was rejected.

"They said they cannot share with anybody, including Dorset councillors because it is 'commercially sensitive'."

Cllr Ward said he submitted a Freedom of Information (FoI) request in an attempt to find out the reason for the crossing refusal but was told in the FoI that he had already received it.

"I cannot tell you how angry I am," he said.

"To me, it looks like none of the villages on the whole coast road would ever be able to get a crossing because they would not qualify, it seems like you have to be a town or a conurbation to be considered.

"I was elected in May and made a point that I would campaign for the crossing and that gave me a lot of votes. Now I cannot even explain to villagers why it has been turned down. There is no appeal process either.

"They have treated us parish councillors with utter contempt and I don't find it acceptable."

Parish councillor Katie Pile, who set up the petition calling for the crossing, is also a Speedwatch co-ordinator for the area and has children at the village school.

She said: "It is the access to the beach - the only way to get to the beach involves crossing this road.

"People cross at multiple places on this road and it seems like they have counted one spot and not added them all up. We thought it was going to be an easy thing to get."

A Dorset Council spokesperson said: “We assessed the application following national guidance and explained to the parish council the reasons why it was not granted.

“Road safety encompasses many factors, and we will continue to work with the parish council on all road safety issues."