Cycle wands installed on Christchurch Road in Boscombe

Separating the existing on‑road cycle lanes from general traffic between Heathcote Road and Portman Road, the flexible posts are designed to stop vehicles drifting or parking in the lane, giving cyclists a clearer, more continuous route on one of the area’s busiest stretches of the A35.

The upgrade forms part of the wider Safer Roads Project, which aims to cut collisions on the corridor between Iford Roundabout and St Paul’s Roundabout by improving conditions for people walking and cycling.

The Department for Transport allocated BCP Council £1.89 million was from its Safer Roads Fund.

The works follow a public consultation which showed divided opinion locally, with an open survey recording 352 for and 328 against.

The council’s face-to-face survey showed 74 per cent of respondents agree with the cycle wands.

Opponents said they worried about access and parking, with some residents fearing the new wands will make it harder for drivers, delivery vehicles and blue badge holders to reach homes and businesses.

“The installation of bollards/wands will reduce the width of the road, interfere with the passage of buses and other traffic and make the road more dangerous to use,” one survey respondent wrote.

Others say the posts will leave the road feeling narrower and more cluttered and are unconvinced they are needed on this stretch at all.

One respondent said they were in “strong support” of the wands as the cycle lane is “continually abused”.

“With the existing parking restrictions there is no justification for any of the businesses to oppose this and I for one support this immensely.”

Another in favour said: “The addition of wands on the westbound carriageway of Christchurch Road should improve safety and reduce unnecessary illegal parking.”

As part of the changes, the loading bay outside 693 Christchurch Road is being extended, while a new loading and disabled bay is being created around the corner in Heathcote Road to maintain space for deliveries and blue badge holders.

A BCP Council spokesperson said: “The implementation of road safety measures in the Christchurch Road area of Bournemouth are funded by central government.

“BCP Council was awarded £1.89 million by the Department for Transport (DfT) with grants under their Safer Roads Fund programme, designed to reduce casualties on approximately 50 roads across the UK.

“The wands installed on Christchurch Road are an important feature to protect cyclists and help users of all confidence levels to safely use the route.

“We consulted on the measures and considered the views of businesses and residents as part of the planning and design process.”