I'm Chairman of the Forest Hill Society Transport Committee. We are aware of the problems in Devonshire Road and have discussed possible solutions.

It is a difficult issue - generally we would not favour of blocking any road - this increases vehicle mileage, forces traffic onto other minor roads, and tends to be very inconvenient for residents of the road. Controlled parking is always very contentious. Blocking right turns might be helpful at the South Circular end but would be very inconvenient for residents wanting to leave the road at Honor Oak Park.

As previously pointed out, making the road one way might increase its attractiveness as a rat run and also vehicle speeds. The Council's traffic figures published for the 20mph zone proposals showed that 85% of vehicles travelling north on Devonshire Road were doing less than 22.8mph and 85% going south were below 24.8mph. If this study was done in accordance with DoT guidelines, the measurements would have been taken at the point assessed as the fastest point in the road, so generally vehicle speeds are likely to be slower than this. With these sorts of figures, it is very improbable that the Council would be persuaded to implement any further traffic calming measures.

Our conclusion was that residents of the road should have the major say in any proposals and if residents have a clear view of exactly what the problems are and what should be done about them, we would support them in getting a formal consultation undertaken. At the moment, opinions on what the problems are, and what should be done seem to be very mixed. Further debate in this forum would be helpful.