RESIDENTS and business bosses across Stourbridge are being urged to ensure they plan for a raft of road closures around the town and surrounding villages this Sunday as 15,000 cyclists take to the streets for the first-ever Velo Birmingham cycle ride.

The long-anticipated road race starts and finishes in Birmingham but will take riders on a 100-mile picturesque tour of the Black Country, South Staffordshire and Worcestershire.

Residents, business owners and politicians have raised concerns about the scale of the event and how the many road closures - particularly in the Stourbridge, Kinver and Belbroughton areas - could leave people locked into their properties for hours.

But angry cyclists have hit back at those objecting to the mammoth sportive ride being staged on their doorstep - and called on people to turn out and support the riders, many of whom will be raising money for a host of causes including the Alzheimer’s Society, NSPCC, Cure Leukaemia and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity.

Cycling star Jess Varnish, a former GB track sprinter who rode for Halesowen Cycling Club, who will be among the big-names taking on the Velo challenge, along with her dad James Varnish, a former leukaemia sufferer.

Former England and Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Geoff Thomas, England under-21 manager Aidy Boothroyd and ex-West Bromwich Albion defender Darren Moore will also be supporting event charity partner, Cure Leukaemia, and will join rugby legend Martin Johnson, the event's ambassador, on the ride.

Jon Ridgeon, executive chairman of Vélo Birmingham organisers CSM Active, has described the route as "truly spectacular" and they are looking forward to a great day which will raise thousands for charity.

Stourbridge councillor Les Jones said some residents in the Lye and Pedmore areas would likely be locked into their estates during the morning as they have no way to dodge the road closures and he added: "I'm still quite gobsmacked about how little we as councillors know about how this all came about.

"When it was publicly announced was the first time we knew about it. We were just asked to comment on the route - by then it was already a done deal.

"I'm a great supporter of having events that bring our region to prominence but it needed to be done in a way that was sensitive.

"In my ward extra roads have been included because Herefordshire pulled out. People now affected by that have only had a couple of weeks notice."

He said people living on the Hadcroft estate would be locked in - adding: “You can't get out to Grange Lane, you can't get to Lye or Wollescote because you're on the route. Pedmore Fields on the edge of Cradley/Wollescote is also in a similar position and he added: "There are roads where people are locked into estates because the roads they exit on are closed for several hours.

"There's a seething under current of people who are really upset about it and asking 'why is my life being disrupted for several hours so some people can ride past my house on a bike?' It's the sort of thing that should have been done in the country. It probably would have been better off going out into Warwickshire.

"I think this has been ill thought through and I simply don't know whose idea this was. I really don't know at what level and what point this agreed. That's one of the things that has annoyed me about it.”

Dudley Council says former leader of the council, Councillor Pete Lowe, authorised the event to go ahead in the Dudley borough along with former cabinet member for the environment, Councillor Hilary Bills.

Organisers say they have worked extremely hard to mitigate the impact the event will have on residents along the route and businesses and they are urging anyone concerned to email them at route@velobirmingham.com.

Anyone concerned about bus route diversions should check out www.networkwestmidlands.com/campaigns/velo-cycling-event. Stourbridge Junction railway will still be open but will only be accessible from the Rufford Road overspill car park and walk-way.

The full route and road closure details can be found on the official website https://velobirmingham.com.

Roads affected in the Halesowen and Stourbridge areas will be closed from 6am until 11am and a spokesman for the organisers said: "We expect cyclists to start appearing on Oldnall Road and then head deeper into the Stourbridge area from around 7.30am.

The roads along that part of the course will then reopen once all the cyclists have safely passed through.

Surrounding areas such as Kinver, Stourton and Wall Heath face closures from 7am until 1.30pm - and roads in Clent, Belbroughton and Romsley areas will be closed from 9am until 5.15pm.

The Vine at Clent will act as a final pit stop for riders before they take on the gruelling St Kenelm’s Pass - the toughest part of the route which falls just 16 miles from the finish line.

Halesowen North councillor Stuart Henley is among the area's keen cyclists looking forward to the event which he is urging everyone to embrace.

He told the News: "I understand where people are coming from with their concerns about the road closures, but it’s only going to be one day.

"We all knew this was coming this weekend – it’s been in the press and those who live along the route would have received letters – so people have had enough time to adapt their plans around it.

"We always moan that London and other big cities always get these big events, but then when they do finally bring them to us, we moan that it’s going to cause us a bit of inconvenience for a morning.

"It will be a great event, raising lots of money for charity, and for everyone not to embrace something like this is disappointing.

"It’s a big thing for the area and will bring a lot of publicity to the locations along the route and, if anything, we should be doing more as a community to use the event to our advantage."

Dudley Council has stressed provisions have been made for carers who need to visit elderly and vulnerable people during the times of the road closures and a spokesman added: "Staff within adults and children’s services have been fully informed about Sunday’s road closures and various arrangements have been put in place to ensure services and access is maintained.

"Care workers will be able to access properties by foot and they have been advised accordingly.

"The event organisers have also liaised with private care organisations to ensure appropriate measures are in place."

And the authority has stressed all the road closures are being managed, operated and financed by the event organisers. Letters to residents have also been organised by the event organisers.

Two members of the council's highway staff will be based at the event’s command and control room in Birmingham on Sunday morning to liaise with other local authorities, emergency services and the event organisers.

CSM Active has stressed emergency services vehicles will be operating as usual and the public should use normal protocol in the case of an emergency.

Although the roads will be closed to cars - pedestrian access will be maintained.

But any cars left on the routes that are set to be closed will be towed away.

Anyone who does not have off-road parking is urged to make alternative plans to park in nearby streets.