Furious former Ferndown fish fryer fumes at fietsers — chippy owner blames bike lane for takeaway's demise, despite roadworks ending last year and several negative reviews for "dreadful" food online

A former fish and chip shop owner has blamed the construction of a cycle lane for his takeaway closing, claiming it hit his business takings by 40 per cent. However, in the time since he claimed locals "would just avoid it like the plague" due to roadworks, the council has pointed out that phase of the bike lane project was completed last year, while others suggested that preferred alternative chippies and the multiple negative reviews online could also be a factor — one reviewer calling the food "quite possibly the worst fish and chips I have ever had".

Ferndown Fish & Chips on Wimborne Road East was bought by Tony Doyle in May 2022, the owner telling the Daily Echo he enjoyed 11 months of good business but was hit with a 40 per cent reduction in takings once construction began on a cycle route nearby. 

The infrastructure on Wimborne Road East, branded "Britain's biggest bike lane" by the Daily Mail has featured on road.cc before, just this week in fact some locals opposed to the scheme were accused of "spreading misinformation" after unfounded rumours emerged on social media claiming that several trees will be cut down during a future phase of construction, the council calling the claims "factually incorrect and negative".

> "Waste of money" cycle lane slammed, as some locals call for more space for drivers – "because that's the majority"

And in response to the latest comments, from the owner of Ferndown Fish & Chips, Dorset Council clarified that the roadworks in question "finished in November last year" and "at no point was the road fully closed excluding three non-consecutive week-long periods for overnight works starting at 8pm, with only one lane closure, traffic management in place at all times, and numerous routes available for customers to reach the premises".

Despite this, Mr Doyle, who said he had been looking forward to retiring in the shop for "happy days and a quiet pace of life", says he was left in debt "because of the VAT and electrical" and "couldn't save it by the end" as the "locals would just avoid it like the plague".

"I had good customers and really nice people who would phone me and say 'Tony, we can't come, it's taken us 40 minutes to get home'," he said. "I was making a profit and then [the] roadworks started. Business takings were down 40 per cent during that period."

And while some locals had sympathy for the chippy owner's business woes, others questioned some of his claims.

One comment made on Facebook suggested that "most people go to Karsbergs [another fish and chip shop in Ferndown] as it's better". "Consumers vote with their feet, if what you're offering isn't as good as a mile down the road then you won't get the trade," Craig Addison wrote.

Another local pointed out the negative reviews that the takeaway had received online. They said: "No need to blame the cycle lanes when a quick look online reveals some awful reviews for this place!"

Despite more positive reviews in previous years, the feedback from customers in the past 12 months is less complimentary, with several giving one-star ratings and detailing their complaints.

> Bitter Bath burger bar boss bashes bike lane

"Quite possibly the worst fish and chips I have ever had," one from 10 months ago begins. "Really poor. Not fresh battered. Frozen fish cooked at too high a temperature... do not recommend at all."

Another said "unfortunately this chip shop doesn't come anywhere near" to the competitors in the area, with portions that "are a lot smaller for the same amount of money".

A third review said the owner "was dismissive and rude" during a dispute over a cancelled order, while another more recent review called it "absolutely dreadful".

It said: "We thought we'd try this, as our usual was closed for some reason. The fish and chips here were laden with grease. The mushy peas were inedible. The fish wasn't cooked properly, so much so my fiancé refused to eat any of it. If it wasn't for the fact we bought it as a takeaway, we would be requesting a refund."

Earlier this week we reported that Dorset Council had been critical of anti-cycle lane campaigners who criticised the active travel scheme and said it did not represent "value for money". The local authority responded to claims that a future part of the project would see several trees cut down, and explained that this was not the case and the rumours were "factually incorrect and negative".

A Dorset Council spokesperson said: "We are not removing any trees as part of our current works on Wimborne Road”, addressing the unfounded rumours.

"We carefully designed the scheme so the existing trees by Clayford Avenue and the Pure Drop Pub are retained. We will, in fact, be adding an additional tree close to the Stanfield Road junction. Careful consideration is made to the natural environment when planning our projects. We have worked closely with our ecologists to ensure the impact on the environment is minimised at all stages of construction."