PART of Dorchester's town centre could be pedestrianised to ease traffic congestion in the town.

Pedestrianising part of the main road through the town - High West and East streets - is one of the options being considered by council chiefs to rid Dorchester of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Full details of the proposals will be on show next month, but the new Dorchester and District Chamber of Trade website - at www.dorchesterchamber.org.uk - confirms that making the high street more pedestrian-friendly could be an option.

The proposal to pedestrianise the street forms part of one of three options put to the chamber, Dorchester Town Council and other interested parties in a series of behind-closed-doors meetings.

Derrick Buswell, chief executive of the Dorchester and District Chamber of Trade, said the option which included the pedestrianisation of the high street,was the one members preferred.

"We backed this option because it goes back to the local plan which aimed to keep traffic out of the town centre - that is the area within the town walls," he said.

"We believe it will give us a chance to make the area outside the pump and museum a real focal point."

Tim Westwood, Dorset County Council's transportation manager, said: "We have been consulting with interested parties and full details will be revealed next month."

Once the final options are revealed members of the public will be given the chance to have their say on the proposals before a final option is put forward.

All the options for ridding Dorchester of congestion have been put forward by consultants Scott Wilson, who were appointed jointly by Dorset County Council and West Dorset District Council.

Each council paid £50,000 towards the appointment.

The consultants used information gathered from a series of traffic surveys carried out in the county town, which revealed that despite a bypass being built around the town traffic coming through Dorchester was at pre-bypass levels.

It also revealed that 2,300 vehicles use the Top o' Town junction during each daily rush-hour.

Up to 38 vehicles a minute cross the county town's clogged main crossing point between 8am and 9am and 5pm and 6pm each weekday and transport bosses revealed things can only get worse unless action is taken.