ANGRY Christchurch councillors are calling for a complete ban on roadworks in the borough during the nine-months of works on the A338 Spur Road.

The borough has been in almost total gridlock since the Spur Road scheme being carried out for Dorset County Council, got underway last Tuesday.

Barrack Road, the bypass and the A35 at Roeshot Hill have been jammed solid. And to add to the double daily nightmare for thousands of driver, ongoing work on Somerford Road and the closure of Mudeford this week for sewerage connection has piled on the misery. The diversion through Mudeford’s residential streets is the same for both. Now Christchurch Mayor, Cllr Lesley Dedman backed by Cllr Margaret Phipps and Cllr Colin Bungey have called for a total embargo on new works in the borough until the Spur Road is done.

And they are furious that Dorset’s director of highways, Andrew Martin, has claimed that the A338 scheme is too far away to be impacting on the Somerford congestion (where a puffin crossing is being installed) - when it is right next to Roeshot Hill.

Cllr Dedman said: “That suggestion is totally absurd. The A338 work, with people coming through the New Forest to avoid the Spur Road shambles, is turning Christchurch into a giant car park. Officers sitting in Dorchester have no idea what’s going on.”

In a letter Mr Martin: “The Somerford Road works are sufficiently far away from the A338 to not impact the traffic flows for traffic trying to avoid the A338.

“There is no embargo on all works in Christchurch during the nine months of works on the A338 as there is simply too much demand for utilities on our network to follow this course of action.”

Cllr Phipps added: “You just couldn’t make it up. With the A338 fiasco as well, with on earth is going with highway work at Dorset County Council? I would like to know who is responsible for this abysmal planning.”

Cllr Colin Bungey said he supported an embargo on all non-essential roadworks until the A338 scheme was finished. “Christchurch always takes the brunt of traffic during schemes and this is no exception. In response to Mr Martin’s comments regarding the distance of the A338 works, he added: “This is a combination of naivety and incompetence. DCC does not have a clue about the eastern end of the county.”

The chairman of a Bournemouth committee has arranged for a highways officer from Dorset County Council to answer questions about the work later this month. Cllr Mark Anderson says the public is welcome to send him comments and questions for putting to officers.