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Protective wands have been installed on a cycle lane in the centre of Boscombe – four years after residents and councillors complained that the infrastructure in the Bournemouth suburb was being constantly “abused” by motorists illegally parking in it.

In 2023, several local cyclists started campaigning for Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council to clamp down on illegal parking in Boscombe by posting countless images and videos of pavement and bike lane-blocking motorists on social media.

At the same time, independent councillor Andy Jones said the painted cycle lane’s lack of protection had led to “consistent complaints” from his constituents, and that the situation had deteriorated since he first raised the issue the previous year.

> “Frustrating” cycle lane parking getting worse, says councillor – in town where Daily Mail claimed motorists were being driven “off the road”

And now, over four years on from those first complaints, protective, flexible cycle lane posts – designed to stop drivers encroaching or blocking the route – have finally been installed on one of the busier sections of the A35, between Heathcote Road and Portman Road.

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The move, funded by the Department for Transport, forms part of the council’s Safer Roads Project, which aims to cut road collisions on the corridor Iford Roundabout and St Paul’s Roundabout by improving conditions for people walking and cycling.

An open survey which took place as part of a public consultation on the matter found that 352 locals supported the wands’ installation, while 328 opposed.

However, the local authority’s face-to-face survey saw 74 per cent of residents voice their support for the wands.

Boscombe cycle lane wands
Boscombe cycle lane wands (Image Credit: Daily Echo)
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One respondent noted that they were in “strong support” of the wands, due to the existing painted cycle lane being “continually abused” by drivers.

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

“The addition of wands on the westbound carriageway of Christchurch Road should improve safety and reduce unnecessary illegal parking,” another added, the Bournemouth Daily Echo reports.

However, some locals expressed concern that the wands would limit access and parking, fearing they would make it more difficult for motorists, delivery drivers, and blue badge holders to reach local businesses and their homes.

Meanwhile, others used the survey to warn that the wands would leave the road feeling narrower and “cluttered”, while arguing that they aren’t, in fact, even needed along that stretch of road.

“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,” said one respondent.

> ‘Cycle lane parking puts lives at risk’: Cyclist’s sticker justice for bike lane van driver

In a bid to assuage these concerns, as part of the changes, the loading bay outside 693 Christchurch Road is being extended, while a new loading and disabled bay is being installed nearby on Heathcote Road, which the council says will maintain space for deliveries and blue badge holders.

“The implementation of road safety measures in the Christchurch Road area of Bournemouth are funded by central government,” a BCP council spokesperson said.

“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.

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

> Large bike symbols painted on middle of Bournemouth lanes to encourage cyclists to ride in primary position – and motorists aren’t happy

Back in 2023, Boscombe resident Dean Hawthorne, who described the scale of the illegal parking in the area as “an accident waiting to happen”, said he keeps a record of the number of motorists blocking the cycle lane on the Christchurch Road – a phenomenon he said he witnesses “every time” he drives down the road.

Hawthorne argued that, by allowing drivers to clog up the town’s bike lanes, an opportunity was missed to improve Boscombe’s cycling infrastructure and to combat pollution.

Car parked in Boscombe bike lane
Car parked in Boscombe bike lane (Image Credit: credit _msec_, Twitter)
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“They’ve put something in place that isn’t working for a number of reasons. There is a legitimate reason why we need to encourage more people to cycle,” he said.

“I don’t even own a bike; I drive a van. On paper I’m the cyclist’s nightmare, but I’m not, I can see the absolute benefits of having decent cycling infrastructure.”

> Bike lane meltdown: New road markings prompt Mail to ask, “is there any room left for cars?”

The installation of cycle lane wands in Boscombe comes four years after the council’s relatively benign decision to paint bicycle symbols on the area’s roads – to encourage cyclists to take a “prominent” position – caused something of a meltdown in the national press.

The symbols, which have been in use in the UK since 1975, prompted the Mail and Daily Telegraph to claim that cyclists in Boscombe were being encouraged to “ignore” the town’s dedicated bike lane – the one which, until this week, has been littered with parked cars for years.