Controversial 'driveway-blocking' cycle lane wands revealed to have cost £20,000, but under-fire council defends scheme from critics upset "you can't just reverse out fast any more"

A cycle lane in the Dorset seaside town of Poole has once again made headlines, this time after the protective wands the council installed — which caused outrage with some locally who claimed they blocked residents from their driveways and meant "you can't just reverse out fast any more" — were revealed to have cost in excess of £20,000.

BCP Council responded to the latest headlines by insisting the wands on Wimborne Road are "relatively low in cost" and an "easy" and "effective" way to protect vulnerable road users by segregating cyclists from traffic and preventing pavement parking.

Wimborne Road cycle lane wands (credit: YouTube/DorsetSaferRoads)

The Daily Echo submitted a Freedom of Information request to the local authority, which revealed £14,220 was spent on the wands and installation tools, while £6,066 was the cost of installing them, a total of £20,286.

The wands went viral back in November when pictures were published by the Daily Mail, The Telegraph and GB News, upset residents claiming their driveways had been blocked and complaining that "you can't just reverse out fast any more".

However, offering balance, a local cyclist told us much of the outrage was "overblown" and the wands only necessary due to incessant pavement parking. That is a response seconded in the council's reply to the latest development, Cllr Richard Herrett explaining to the local press that it is his responsibility to make the route safe for cyclists, pedestrians and those with limited mobility.

> "Not everyone has the option to drive": Council addresses backlash over controversial cycle lane projects, including row over 'driveway-blocking wands' and 'Britain's biggest bike lane'

"There are three schools in the vicinity of Wimborne Road, and if you travel the route at times when the schools are active, you will see the pavements and lanes being well used," he commented, addressing the often-heard criticism about how few people are using the infrastructure.

"The cycle wands which are used across the country on similar schemes, not only provide better protection for cyclists including school children but also help to keep the footway clear for pedestrians. This is especially beneficial for people with disabilities, or parents with pushchairs.

"When vehicles block pavements, it often leads to pedestrians being forced into cycle lanes and the road where they are at greater risk of being injured or killed. They are easy to install, effective at helping to protect space for vulnerable people and relatively low in cost compared to other options."

The council had previously defended the wands by telling residents: "Given the increasing width of vehicles, and the manner of driving by some, the use of measures like wands to protect schoolchildren in particular is an important tool."

Wimborne Road cycle lane wands (credit: YouTube/DorsetSaferRoads)

Bob Lister has led the criticism of the scheme and suggested the council needs to "give more thought to older people, those in need of ambulances, carers and the fire service" who, he says, are being asked to "cope with the wands blocking access to people's homes".

Another resident, 44-year-old Samantha Clarke, said, "It's so much more difficult, there's no turning any more — you have to go in in a straight line". Another, Debbie Woodcocks, called the wands "ridiculous", said they are "doing more harm than good" and "you can't just reverse out fast any more".

Wimborne Road cycle lane wands (credit: YouTube/DorsetSaferRoads)

"Some can't get out of their driveway," she claimed. "It's bad enough cycle lanes have been put there. Trying to reverse out now takes a lot longer and it's a lot harder. You can't just reverse out fast any more, the council has made it more difficult now."

Much of the discussion on social media at the time centred around the complaints of some residents opposed to the cycle lane. However, others pointed out that in some cases the properties in question did not have a dropped kerb and so residents would have to drive illegally across the pavement to park in front of their property anyway, raising the question of if their 'driveway' can be blocked if it requires an illegal manoeuvre to access it?

Andy Hadley, cabinet member for roads and cycle lanes at BCP Council, did however also accept that in certain locations where it had created "most difficulty" the council would "listen to feedback" and "adjust the positions of wands to ensure continued property access".

"The team have attempted to balance maintaining access to driveways with protecting the cycle route, but have listened to feedback from residents and acknowledge that a few traffic wands have been installed in locations that impact informal access to properties," he said last year. "In locations where this creates the most difficulty, we are looking at adjusting the positions of the wands to ensure continued property access."

One part of the story that BCP has admitted it got wrong and apologised for is "inaccurate" letters about dropped kerbs that were sent to residents.

A BCP spokesperson apologised for "inaccurate" letters that went out and said residents would be able to reclaim their money.

"We sincerely apologise for sending inaccurate letters to residents on Wimborne Road and for raising expectations," the council explained. "The letters lacked clarity on the planning and highways permissions required to support the installation of dropped kerbs. Furthermore, these permissions could not be attained in the timeframes outlined in the letter. We understand how frustrating and confusing this must have been.

"The offer to adjust kerbing should only have been offered to a handful of households whose properties were within the planned kerbing alterations being undertaken as part of improvement work. 

"We have contacted the residents who had responded to the letter, apologising for our error, and offered a refund to those who wanted to withdraw their application. Any residents with outstanding applications for planning or highways permissions associated with this letter and who now wish to withdraw their application can contact transformingtravel [at] bcpcouncil.gov.uk for a refund."

Earlier this month, and following the removal of some of the more problematic wands, Conservative representative Gavin Wright called for the rest of the bollards to be scrapped, claiming that packages can no longer be "safely delivered" on the road. He suggested white lines or cat's eyes would be a better choice, the council again responding by pointing out the issue of pavement parking and the dangers facing cyclists.