A borough-wide traffic calming scheme has been slammed by residents, drivers and councillors alike who say just a handful of residents were allowed to decide the fate of the roads used by hundreds.

In 2012 it was decided that every residential street in Waltham Forest would be restricted to a 20mph speed limit.

Parents, schools and residents supported the idea - but now the scheme is being rolled out - they are keen to see the council put the brakes on.

Earlier this month the first of the 20mph schemes was introduced in the Belle Vue area, with the first hump being built in Ulverston Road.

Around £33,000 of the £300,000 TFL funding is being spent on traffic calming measures in the area between the A406 and Forest Road.

The council carried out a consultation over two weeks in July – to which only 14 per cent of people responded.

It was just over half these people who wanted road humps in place, and it has now gone ahead.

Jane Morgan lives in Ulverston Road.

She said: “This cabinet just does not listen to the people.

“Democracy is dead. The front page of their paper says ‘we need to talk’ well we are talking and nobody is listening.

“This is an absurd waste of money. If people living here want the humps then great, let’s have them, but they do not.

“We went and knocked on doors and most people were in favour of road chicaning or a home zone.”

Conservative councillor Sheree Rackham said the council must address the way it consults residents.

“If I do a consultation as a councillor I will go out and knock on people’s doors.

“All it would take is to involve people more, they are just being bullied.”

Max Carter of Ulverston Road believes signs should have been used first, and data taken over time.

He said: “They have made a one-size-fits-all scheme. No accident or emissions data was provided to illustrate the case being made.

“All we wanted was a say on how it was done.”

Safdar Mughal started a petition in Castleton Road said he has seen no ‘credible records’ of the way the roads in the Belle Vue area are used.

He is also angry, like others, that the consultation was carried out during summer holidays as many were not around.

Toby Nichols lives in Beacontree Avenue and has already seen problems with the scheme.

He said: “There are still a large number of rat runners. When Forest Road is jammed most mornings, they all come down Beacontree/Bellevue.

“Eight or nine out of ten drivers brake for the bumps and floor it between the bumps.

“Of course this means more air pollution and CO2 emissions. If this is to be implemented borough wide, consider the emissions of 1000s of cars over 1000s of bumps, pumping out carbon dust and particulate emissions.”