RESIDENTS of a quiet road in Verwood have blasted the county council's plans to spend nearly £2million on adopting and re-surfacing their road.

People living in Springfield Road are unanimous - they do not want works that could cost them thousands of pounds each and potentially create a rat-run.

They say they are determined to stop Dorset County Council and residents from each house along the street has written protesting over the plan.At a meeting of Verwood Local Action Group at the Hub on Monday night campaigners told of the petitions against the works - and rejected assurances from first councillor Spencer Flower and then his wife, councillor Toni Coombs, that the work was essential.Speaking for Springfield Road residents, Eric Holt said he had not found one person in favour of the scheme.He told the meeting: "It's a very quiet area and we would like it kept that way.

"I have a folder three inches thick of letters and notes from people who do not want it."If safety and access to schools was a problem there was a better and easier solution by extending Howe Lane which would preserve existing woodland."

After the meeting, Mr Holt told the Journal: "Every resident in Springfield Road, which has 16 houses, has signed the petition against this scheme.

"There are also two other petitions going the rounds - in Manor Lane and Spring Close and they too are against the plan.

"We understand that the charge per household in Springfield will be £500 to £600 per yard of frontage, totalling something like £80,000 towards the cost."As far as Councillor Flower's "net figure of £1.1million" is concerned that is the first time we have heard about this sum. Hitherto the only figure mentioned is £1.9million."Several residents have written to our MP Bob Walter, and he said he will look into the matter."Some of the petitioners will attend his next surgery in the area."Another resident claimed re-surfacing would turn the road into a rat run and that the £1.9million cost could go some way to finding the £7million which Dorset had to save from current expenditure.Councillor Flower replied that the net sum was actually £1.1m, but did not clarify how he arrived at that sum.On the question of charging residents £5,000 to £7,000 according to their frontage, Councillor Flower said he would see what could be done about this as the road would be for the benefit of the whole town.