PEOPLE living in a Verwood Road have hit out at claims residents don’t support a £1.9million council project to upgrade and adopt it.

Many residents of Springfield Road spoke out against the proposal by Dorset Council at a meeting held last Monday, but others have now come forward to say it has their wholehearted support.

Yvonne Wood, 66, said she and her husband James, 61, have been prepared for years to stump up the cash being asked for from residents towards the work on the unmade road and that claims it would become a rat run are unfounded.

She said: “The residents of Springfield Road are not unanimous in not wanting this road to be made up.

“There are in fact about 20 people who do want this road made up - there are not many residents in the road, including Springfield Close, so this would amount to about half of the residents or more.”

Another resident, Judy Broadley, 73, who has lived in the road for 11 years, said she and her husband made inquiries about it being made-up when they moved in and have been waiting for it to happen ever since.

She said: “There was an elderly couple here who couldn’t managed the road by foot or by car and they were marooned. I don’t think we should have to put up with it and it makes me angry that relative newcomers are objecting to something that has been on the plans for years and years.”

Mrs Wood said the potholes in the road are not only a danger to elderly people and could cause damage to cars and that the extra access is needed in case of an emergency at the Emmanuel Middle School at the end of the road.

“I don’t know how people can say it would become a rat run,” she added, “as it doesn’t go anywhere, and the traffic would only be at school dropping-off and picking up times.”

Those who object to the proposal, who have set up a petition against it, claim the work is not needed and a better solution to access issues would be to extend Howe Lane. They object to what they say could run into costs of thousands of pounds for residents.

County councillor Spencer Flower, who told the meeting the works are essential, has said the £2million cost included some put aside in case the council needs to buy two properties in the road and that the net figure is likely to be closer to £1.1million.