A LINK road providing a new entrance to Bournemouth University and access to Talbot Village could be built as part of a major £3million transport infrastructure project.

As previously reported, the institution is planning a wider £100million redevelopment of its campuses in a bid to create a “world class facility”.

And as part of that, a hybrid planning application for the Talbot site formally submitted to the Borough of Poole has also revealed an ambition to build a “fourth arm” to the nearby Boundary Roundabout.

The route would connect to Gillett Road and pass the newly built four-storey Poole Gateway Fusion Building, which would be fitted with "active frontage".

This, the university’s design and access statement says, will create a “visual gateway” which will create an “inherent sense of arrival”.

“We understand how vital our role is in the local community – both as a major contributor to the local economy and also as a neighbour to many residents and businesses,” said BU’s chief operating officer Jim Andrews.

“The proposed, all-purpose link road off the Boundary Roundabout will not only bring benefits to BU but to the wider community.

“It will provide another access to Talbot Village for residents and will enable BU contracted buses to route through the campus in a westbound direction to the new bus hub.

“Together, the link road and bus hub, will help alleviate some of the existing traffic congestion issues on Wallisdown Road and Fern Barrow.

“It is also a key component of the Poole Borough Council Supplementary Planning Document that was adopted following consultation in December 2015.”

The estimated total cost of the transport infrastructure plans also includes a bus hub and car park extension.

The bus hub will be located off Fern Barrow to the west of the Talbot site, close to the university’s main entrance.

“It will be a high quality facility with capacity to cater for current and future requirements; and will prioritise pedestrian movement through wide footways on key desire lines," the university's design and access statement says.

“Both the bus hub and link road will facilitate an east-west bus route through the site which will improve the flow and reliability of buses to BU.

“It will also reduce the number of westbound buses on the Wallisdown Road corridor between Boundary and University Roundabouts."

If planning permission is granted the university hopes construction will commence in 2017.