Residents are angry about roadworks for a new bus stop which they say is making entry to their homes more difficult.

Roadworks to build a new Fiveways bus stop along Chickerell Road in Weymouth started on Thursday, April 20, and are due to finish on Friday, June 2. 

The works have been contracted out by local housing developer, Betterment Properties.

The stop is being built to replace the old Fiveways bus stop to accommodate access to the new Curtis Fields Development by the developer. 

Mandy Logan, whose house lies just behind the works on Chickerell Road, said: “When I came home, the entrance to the houses was more or less blocked.”

She said that the road workers made a path to her and her neighbour’s homes on Thursday, April 27, but that until then there had only been a very narrow path to get in.

She added: “I couldn’t understand how you could get the council’s permission.

“A dialogue must have been opened up by the contractors and the council. They really needed to know if we had a back entrance and obviously that has not happened.” 

Sheila Hobson, whose home also lies behind the works, said: “People are struggling to get out of their flats.”

The new path leading to resident’s homes is on the site of the roadworks themselves and machines have to stop whenever people have to pass through. 

Grant Stewkesbury, director of Betterment Properties, said: “We are trying to keep it as open as possible, but with heavy machinery there are going to be delays.

“There may be some times where residents might not be able get to their property for a short period of time.”

He said that the council had been visiting the site every day.

Mr Stewkesbury added: “The works have got to be done, they are on highway land and they have got to be completed.”

The director also said that once the works were completed on Friday, June 2, there would be a new footpath along with the bus stop and there would be no restrictions to people’s houses.

A spokesperson for Dorset County Council said: “I can confirm that the bus stop is moving approximately 90m to accommodate the new access to the development – and this was granted through the planning application made by Betterment.”