Dinah's Hollow Traffic Management

Published: 03 March 2026

12th January 2026

Dear External Stakeholders,

We would like to provide clarity on some of the temporary traffic management measures currently in place for the Dinah’s Hollow road closure.

Unfortunately, the original traffic order included two errors that stated:

West Lane, Melbury Abbas from junction with C13 to junction with Quarry Lane traffic will be prohibited from travelling westbound
To impose a temporary 30mph speed limit on…A350, Iwerne Stepleton from a point approximately 170 metres north of Coach Road to a point approximately 175m south of Oakwood Drive

We are working as quickly as possible to rectify this. As this is a legal order it will take a little time for the correct measures to come into effect. From Saturday 24 January a correction will come into force:

West Lane, Melbury Abbas from junction with C13 to junction with Quarry Lane traffic will be prohibited from travelling eastbound
To impose a temporary 30mph speed limit on…A350, Iwerne Stepleton from a point approximately 100 metres south of Smugglers Lane to a point approximately 635 metres south of Main Street

At the moment, we are unable to implement signage of a one-way system on West Lane.

Please also note that Redman’s Lane will remain open to two-way traffic. Mill Hollow Lane is temporarily one-way for the duration of the works.

Sincere apologies for this error and the subsequent confusion that has arisen.

7th January 2026

Diverted Traffic Through Fontmell Magna

Temporary speed limit arrangements on the A350 through Fontmell Magna commenced on 5 January. Dorset Council expects these to remain in place for the entirety of 2026. Inevitably the additional traffic travelling through the village (because of the closed Dinah’s Hollow section of the C13) will result in changes and challenges for our community.

The Dorset Council (DC) team responsible for the diversions etc will monitor the situation throughout 2026 and may make changes where they deem necessary. The DC team needs to hear from all of us with concerns and details of blockages/incidents etc. To that end we are all encouraged to be in touch via the following email address - dinahs.hollow@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

Please also copy our ward councillor Jane Somper, at her request, at cllrjane.somper@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and the Clerk of the Parish Council at clerk@fontmellmagnapc.co.uk

As previously reported Fontmell Magna Parish Council has submitted a permanent 20mph speed limit application for all our village roads. The DC 20mph Panel is due to review this in February. This is unrelated to the temporary arrangements in place which DC considers to be exceptional because of the C13 closure.

We are aware that speed related hazards affect residents daily. Some, including near misses and even collisions, are not reported. We are aware that the reporting systems which are available (including DC’s) have limitations especially if they are not officially followed up and verified. We continue to recommend reporting to DC but your Parish Council would also like to hear from you with details of speed or other road safety related incidents including near misses etc. If you are able to supply photographs this will be extremely helpful.

Many thanks.

Hannah Lister

Chair

Fontmell Magna Parish Council

10th December 2025

Please find important inforthmation below about multiple Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders that are planned to come into effect on Monday 5 January 2026. These will support the slope stabilisation works in Dinah’s Hollow and manage additional traffic on the limited network of roads in north Dorset.

Diversion map

Temporary Speed limits map

These will be in effect for the duration of construction works throughout 2026. The main road closure for the stabilisation works will close the C13 between its junction with Boundary Road and its junction with the B3081. There will be access only for residents and emergency services between Boundary Lane and West Lane. The main diversion route will be signed to use the A350. HGVs travelling southbound will be signed to use the A30 to Shaftesbury then on to Stalbridge and use the A357 to rejoin the A350 south of Steepleton Bends.

In Melbury Abbas village, additional measures will support the flow of traffic to enable residents safe travel to and from their homes:

Quarry Lane/School Lane one-way only from A350 to C13

White Pit Lane one-way only from C13 to the B3081

West Lane one-way only from C13 to the A350

Mill Hollow Lane one-way only from B3081to West Lane

West Lane will remain two-way between its junction with the A350 and its junction with Quarry Lane to facilitate the above restrictions

On the A350 there will be a series of temporary speed restrictions to support safe travel during the expected significant increase in vehicles using the route while Dinah’s Hollow is closed. Due to these exceptional circumstances, we recognise the need to operate outside our standard 20mph policy considerations and for village gateway speeds to be temporarily reduced:

Temporary 20mph speed limit on A350 through Compton Abbas

Temporary 20mph speed limit on A350 through Fontmell Magna

Temporary 20mph speed limit on A350 through Sutton Waldren

Temporary 20mph speed limit on A350 through Iwerne Minster

Temporary 30mph speed limit through Stepleton Bends

We are continuing discussions with our traffic management provider on proposals for two sets of temporary traffic signals on the A350 to further help the safe movement of vehicles and residents:

Two-way temporary signals in West Melbury due to sharp and narrow bend at Incombe Head

Three-way temporary signals near Clayesmore School to provide a pedestrian crossing and control traffic in/out of Higher Street/Tower Hill

We will confirm this arrangement when we know more. As part of the project, our traffic management provider will monitor these routes and ensure signage remains in place and visible. This will also allow us to monitor the effectiveness of these measures.

Message from Cllr Jane Somper 10th December 2025

I wanted to provide a brief update on the Dinah’s Hollow closure. Following recent discussions with officers, I can confirm the following:

There is a team of dedicated officers who will be managing communications and addressing any concerns raised while the works at Dinah’s Hollow are underway.

I will be holding monthly meetings with officers at the end of each month throughout the duration of the works. These meetings will allow me to raise specific concerns, discuss where adjustments may be appropriate, and receive updates on progress.

All queries and concerns should be directed to the dedicated email address: dinahs.hollow@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. This inbox is monitored, and enquiries will be triaged to the appropriate department for a response. It is also the best contact for reporting highways maintenance issues relating specifically to the A350, C13, or through-routes from nearby villages. The relevant Highways officers will be informed and will address the issue. (Please feel free to copy me into any correspondence.)

Any complaints regarding speeding or driver behaviour must be reported directly to the police, as Dorset Council does not deal with road traffic offences. Reporting these incidents helps build a record of problem areas, allowing patterns to be identified.

Best wishes

Cllr Jane Somper

Beacon Ward