BCP Council have unveiled plans to make Birds Hill Road in Poole a no-through road and close off three junctions in Stanley Green Road to motor vehicles – as well as one at a busy road in Bournemouth .

However the plans, part of the active travel scheme, have been met with some opposition from residents.

From August 31, only buses and bicycles will be permitted to exit Birds Hill Road onto Longfleet Road, while Churchfield Road will also become a no through road.

Stanley Green Road will see closures implemented at three junctions, with through traffic prevented on Tatnam Road, Wimborne Road and on the one-way section westbound at Vicarage Road.

In Springbourne, an experimental junction closure will be implemented on Windham Road at its junction with Ashley Road.

But Laura Phelps, who works for a care company and has clients in the roads mentioned, was angry when she heard about the plans.

She said: “We still have to do school runs and live at 100 miles per hour, I am so angry.

“Come September we all have to do things differently.

“I just don’t understand how they expect those with children get to three schools in their designated five-minute slots with all the roads closed, what are we supposed to do?

“I am a coordinator for a care company and I have to change all the girls’ rotas to allocate them more travelling time.

“We go to these clients four times a day, we hit traffic and we can’t change clients times.

“You’ll probably find they can only do four clients rather than five or six.

“We would then have to give care packages back to the council, the clients will then have to go to hospital and then you’re bed-blocking the NHS.

“You can’t just start closing roads.”

The closures will be in place for an initial six months before a decision is made on a longer-term decision.

James Stevenson, 73, of Birds Hill Road, said the road can be busy in the mornings and that it can become a bit of a rat run.

However, like a number of residents on the road, he wasn’t actually aware of the scheme.

Councillor Andy Hadley, portfolio holder for transport at BCP Council, said: “We are committed to a sustainable environment, and we hope these low traffic neighbourhoods will encourage people making short journeys to walk or cycle to work, school and for leisure while permitting effective social distancing, instead of using a car.

“This helps reduce congestion for all road users

“The experimental restrictions in each location will apply to motorised vehicles only and will be implemented through the use of bollards, timber planters and appropriate signage, resulting in an improved experience for pedestrians, cyclists, scooter and wheelchair users. Access to homes and businesses will be maintained.

“Some of these areas have been highlighted by local residents as speeding hotspots, so we’re very pleased to be able to create safer environments in built-up areas at the same time as tackling both the climate change emergency and our aim of promoting active, sociable and healthy lifestyles.

“We have listened to local feedback and understand that the tight timescales and limited upfront consultation mandated directly by government requirements are a concern to local people. As a result, we have delayed the introduction of the Cleveland Road trial to allow for further discussion.”