Swanage seafront which is closed off to traffic. With part of Swanage’s Shore Road permanently closed to traffic and the summer visitor season approaching, there’s a proposal to remove the line markings and parking signs, to make it less like a road, but there’s a question mark over who should pay. The southern section of Shore Road from The Mowlem to Victoria Avenue, was closed all year round by Dorset Council on a trial basis in October 2022, and in January 2024 the decision was made to make it permanently traffic-free to improve pedestrian safety. However the area, owned by Dorset Council, still looks like a closed road rather than a pedestrianised promenade, with four redundant posts with old parking information, yellow double lines and parking bay white lines. However despite still having responsibility for the area, Dorset Council highways department responded by asking the town council to pay more than £6,000 for the work to be carried out. Swanage Town Council has looked at doing the work itself and could have the lines burnt off at a cost of around £1,500, however Dorset Council hasn’t yet responded to the request for the town council to undertake the job itself., Credit:Geoffrey Swaine / Avalon