Barkingside speed humps slammed as ‘horrendous’

“HORRENDOUS, bone-jarring” speed humps which have sprung up in Forest Road are only good for breaking a car’s suspension and should be removed, a meeting has heard.

Frustrated motorists and councillors alike took turns to lash out at the humps, installed in October, for being “vicious”.

A meeting of area committee three, held last week at Holy Trinity Church hall, Mossford Green, Barkingside, was told the humps – also referred to as speed cushions – have reduced average speeds in the 40mph road from 35mph to 28mph.

But Conservative Cllr Ann Candy said: “These humps are ferocious. They’re horrendous.

“If one can be narrowed [after requests from nearby residents], why can’t they all be?”

Party colleague Cllr Nick Hayes said: “They need to be taken out.”

Meanwhile Conservative Cllr Joyce Ryan said a constituent had their car’s suspension broken by travelling over the 70mm high humps.

The debate was ignited when John Sharrock, chairman of campaign group Barkingside 21, said the “massive” humps were “affecting people’s tempers”.

The area committee, which unlike neighbouring area committee four was opposed to the �13,400 speed cushions, was told a toucan crossing – for bikes and pedestrians – might be installed in Forest Road outside Fairlop Station in the future, meaning the humps could be removed.

An angry Conservative Cllr Alex Phillips asked why the Transport for London money was spent on the humps if a crossing point was an option.

But highways officer Matthew Gray said a toucan crossing was “at least two years away”.

He added: “We had to do something and we had to put a [zebra] crossing in.”

Urging residents to complain to the council about the humps, called “bone-jarring” by Conservative Cllr David Poole, she said: “If people don’t complain in writing to cabinet, there’s no point coming to say it here.”