There was contention over the decision to uphold enforcement of a U-turn ban at the junction of Clayhall Avenue and Claybury Broadway, at the Area three committee meeting last night.

Cllr Robert Cole asked councillors to confirm the decision, which was included in Council’s forward plan in January 2014, and to support the proposal to enforce further bans.

“It is a danger for anybody,” he said.

“It causes massive traffic jams in the morning, anybody who has been down that road will know.”

He suggested that residents travelled further down the road in order to turn around and suggested this would take around five minutes.

There were protests from members of the public, who said that it would take at least half an hour to drive the extra distance.

Residents from the Hillington Gardens and the Hill Farm Estate asked for a “fair and reasonable alternative” to the U- turns.

Cllr Gwyneth Deakins said: “There is no easy way for people who live in the estate to get out and turn towards South Woodford.

“It’s not a matter of a few minutes, that is just factually wrong.”

She added that it would be a “very serious inconvenience” for people who were unable to use that turning.

The council agreed that the bans would be upheld.