A CONTROVERSIAL Poole road closure, which has been fought over for 18 months, is finally to take place.

On Tuesday, May 3 the Borough of Poole will close Coy Pond Road to through traffic.

Either side of the bridge there will be a row of bollards fixed in the road, cutting off the Poole-Bournemouth rat-run.

Residents of Coy Pond Road who battled for the closure are delighted, while those in neighbouring roads who fear more traffic are disappointed.

Alan Young of Coy Pond Residents said: "We are very pleased that the safety issues, always the main consideration, have been recognised.

"It's not just for the benefit of residents but also for the benefit of all the people who visit the pond and gardens.

"It's a public amenity and it's been there for about 150 years and we feel we have a duty to try and preserve that."

He said they recognised that some people were not happy about the closure.

"Our feeling is that the road is a quiet residential road which has been affected by the changes in the road system. We would like to get it back to how it was."

Mark Vanstone of Surrey Road, spokesman for residents against the closure, said: "I'm very disappointed with the whole process.

"I feel very frustrated that they don't want to listen to us. There hasn't been any consultation with the people who live in the area."

He said problems would only increase with the new roundabout in Herbert Avenue.

"They are going to gridlock the whole of that road system. It's going to be a nightmare."

He said: "These people have got a private road. If they can do it to Coy Pond Road they can do it elsewhere. Any resident can apply to have their road closed."

Steve Dean, principal engineer, transportation services, Borough of Poole said: "The decision to close the road was not an easy one and the council discussed the issue at three separate committee meetings to be sure that all the objections had been thoroughly considered.

"Even so, the committee felt it was important to be sure that the scheme has been beneficial, so they will monitor the effects of the closure and will review the scheme again after six months."

He added that the council had consulted the emergency services and had been told they did not need access through the road.

First published: April 16