PLANNED road improvements in Boscombe East and Iford have been slammed by local residents and businesses.

The proposals, part of the Three Towns Travel Initiative between Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch councils, involve creating cycle lanes along Christchurch Road between Southbourne Road and the Iford roundabout, as well as making junctions safer and changes to parking.

However, residents living between Exton Road and the roundabout are angry at proposals to put double yellow lines along the whole stretch, where they say the road and pavement are wide enough for a cycle lane and parking to exist side-by-side.

David Mann, one of 24 residents who met with council officers recently to discuss the plans, said: “This is a residential road and people need somewhere to park, as do our visitors.

“People will have to park in the side roads which are already crowded. We are not against the plans, but we have suggested putting cycle lanes on the pavement, or parking bays in the verges.”

Ian Kalra, head of transportation services at Bournemouth council, said the plan was still under consultation.

Roadworks have started at the Holdenhurst Avenue junction, where on-road parking will be moved onto pavements to accommodate cycle lanes and revised bus stops.

Business owners in the area say trade has been badly hit for the three-week duration of the works so far.

Jim Dawson, of the Jolly Vintner Too, said Bournemouth council had “no consideration” for local traders.

“For the last four weeks there have been two men doing the job,” he said.

“Last Saturday they put cones out blocking off the parking for work they started on Monday, and I am about £1,000 worse off for that one day – a lot of money for a small business.”

He said he feared they would be left with greatly reduced parking for customers once the works were complete.

Andrew Jenkins, of nearby family firm Mason’s Butchers, said they were being “strangled”.

“Everybody has lost considerable business down here, just so they can put in a couple of cycle lanes, when it was working fine before,” he said.

Mr Kalra said: “Following comments from local businesses we have now made amendments to the working areas and traffic management set up to further reduce disruption as far as possible.”