Q&A Series: Road Adoption in Poundbury — An Update

This article is part of our Q&A series and follows the Stakeholder Panel at the Community Association of Poundbury AGM on 21 May 2025. We are grateful to all the panel members and to our members who submitted questions in advance.

The questions asked were: What is the current status of road adoptions in Poundbury? And who provides the funding, particularly for any repairs necessary to bring roads up to the required standards?

We first covered road adoption in detail in our Q&A article from December 2025, based on questions raised at our September General Meeting. Given the ongoing importance of this issue — and some helpful new detail provided at the AGM — we are publishing this update to reflect the latest picture.

You can read our original Q&A on road adoption here: lovepoundbury.org/post/q-a-series-road-adoption-in-poundbury-where-are-we

What's changed since December?

The key update is one of reassurance: the road and highway adoption process is continuing to move apace. Roads are being adopted on a zone-by-zone basis as agreements between the Duchy and Dorset Council are finalised.

Roads adopted so far

The following roads and areas are now confirmed as adopted: most of Phase 1; the east end of Peverell Avenue East; Middle Farm Way; and Bridport Road (with the exception of the Buttermarket area). Holmead Walk and St John Way are not planned for adoption.

Certain areas that might look like courtyards — Babeny Walk for example — are classified as a Highway and are therefore subject to the road and highways adoption process, an important distinction for residents in that area.

Who pays for repairs?

This is one of the most common questions we hear, and the answer is clear: any works required to bring a highway up to current local authority standards will be met by either the Duchy or the developer, not from public funds, and not from the MANCOs. Residents should not be concerned that adoption costs will fall to them or to the management companies.

Checking your road

The Love Poundbury FAQ on road adoption remains a helpful reference: lovepoundbury.org/faqs. You can also check the adoption status of specific roads using the DorsetExplorer mapping tool at gi.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/dorsetexplorer, using the adopted roads filter in the Layers/Highways menu.

Two separate processes

It's worth noting that road adoption (between the Duchy and Dorset Council) is entirely separate from the courtyard adoption process (between the Duchy and the MANCOs). These run in parallel but on different timelines and under different legal arrangements.

Your questions shape our community

Have a question about life in Poundbury? Email us at info@lovepoundbury.org and it could feature at the next General Meeting.

This answer has been added to the FAQ section of our website, which includes many other questions and answers as well. 

Thank you to Councillor Richard Biggs and Jason Bowerman at the Duchy of Cornwall for fact-checking this article.