Trend set by launch of Sheffield's Dutch roundabout continues with third of its kind opening in UK next week

The latest roundabout, which prioritise cyclists and pedestrians over all other traffic, will open next week in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

The project is slated to open on June 6 but has been controversial with locals for its 'inclusive route' for cyclists and pedestrians.

It has been dubbed Britain's 'most woke' roundabout because drivers must give priority to pedestrians, then cyclists, and then other cars and lorries before continuing on themselves.

South West News Service (SWNS) reports that locals in Hemel Hempstead have pointed out the priority for cyclists and pedestrians is unnecessary as only cars and lorries regularly use the Boundary Way route.

It has also been branded as 'complicated' and 'confusing', with Hertfordshire County Council releasing a CGI walkthrough on how to use it.

The three-minute long video explains to cyclists how they must give way to pedestrians and 'keep attentive' for cars - despite having priority on their segregated cycle track.

It also demonstrates how cars and lorries must give way to both cyclists and pedestrians when joining or leaving the roundabout.

The roundabout in Sheffield was similarly criticised prior to its opening in December 2024, but has operated largely without incident in the last six months.

Some locals in Hemel Hempstead have reportedly branded the roundabout a 'disaster waiting to happen' citing the similar Dutch-style one on Fenton Road, Cambridge, which closed after it saw more collisions in the three years since it was built compared to its predecessor over a similar time period.

Between 2020 and 2023, there had been ten collisions on the Fenton Road roundabout compared to six incidents between 2017-2019.

Speaking on the Herts roundabout, one man said: "There was a perfectly usable roundabout already there.

"Now they've pimped it up at great cost - what a joke."

Another added: "A disaster waiting to happen."

The Herts roundabout has been funded by Active Travel England - the government’s executive agency for promoting walking, wheeling and cycling.

There are currently three Dutch-style roundabouts in operation around the UK.

The first one opened in Cambridge in 2020, followed by one in Sheffield in December 2024, and the third opened in Chichester in February 2025.