Cllr Mike Greene, portfolio holder responsible for transport, said, “There is no doubt that congestion is the biggest barrier to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s economic prosperity. We are 100 per cent behind the Government’s approach to tackling this and their recognition of the need to do so locally by encouraging a shift towards walking, cycling and the use of public transport.

“However, it is clear too that the Emergency Traffic Regulation Orders were introduced without consultation with those who would be affected, either directly or through the ward councillors. That the law allowed the Council to do so does not make it right to do so.

“We are committed to ensuring this is addressed in a fair and balanced way and that means we need to take the time to get the views of all road users and interest groups, not just those whose opinions align with our own.

“In supporting the need for a long-term solution geared towards more active and sustainable travel options it is important to look at the bigger picture, recognizing that our economy is intrinsically linked with our transport choices

“Ward councillors know the areas they represent so we have been greatly influenced by their opinions when deciding how to proceed with the measures put in place by the previous Administration. It is clear from our engagement with them that on the whole there is merit in continuing with the majority of temporary active travel measures currently on the ground, and so these trials will continue, subject to ongoing feedback from all user groups.

“However, there are some locations where temporary measures have been implemented which have caused unwelcome consequences or just do not make sense in isolation. We will suspend these whilst we engage with all user groups as part of our longer-term approach to improving congestion across the conurbation.”