MORE than 100 roads will be closed or affected by lane closures during the Bournemouth Marathon Festival next month.

The festival, which takes place on Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6, will also see temporary parking restrictions applied to roads across Bournemouth and Poole.

Event organisers say they have tried to minimise inconvenience but John Buckle, a resident of Solent Road in Southbourne, said the scores of road closures and restrictions were “over the top and unnecessary”.

Soutbourne is in zone 1, where there will be more than 100 temporary road and lane closures and 15 parking and junction restrictions. Mr Buckle said he had worked out an alternative plan that drastically reduced the number of roads affected.

“They have not consulted with the residents and businesses at all,” he said.

“How can Bournemouth council allow and support a highly disruptive scheme when simple adjustments can reduce dramatically the effect on residents?”

A statement from the event organisers said: “The Bournemouth Marathon Festival organisers, in association with the Borough of Bournemouth Council and Borough of Poole Council, have striven to minimise the disruptive impact of the event to allow those directly affected to carry on with their daily routine with as little inconvenience as possible.

“Every effort will be made to keep traffic flowing as freely and smoothly as possible.

“Please note emergency service vehicles will not be affected by any of the restrictions.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your co-operation in this matter and apologies for any inconvenience which may be experienced.

“This is an exciting new major event for the area which will bring many benefits.”

Full details of the road closures can be viewed at bmf_road_closures_lowres.pdf

There is also a road closure helpline on 01202 451781, which is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.