A resident has hit out at a council after eight "hideous and huge" 20mph signs were "plastered" all over her road.

Tracey Gould says the Chingford Mount cul-de-sac she lives in looks more like a racetrack now after Waltham Forest Council visited this week.

Ms Gauld, who lives in Hurst Close, has compared the size of the painted signs to something you might see on a motorway and believes far too many have been put down.

They have been painted at the entrance and exit to the street and in both directions in the cul-de-sac itself.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series: Hurst Close. Credit: Tracey GauldHurst Close. Credit: Tracey Gauld

Ms Gauld told the Guardian: "The size of these are ridiculous, they are the length of a car. They are hideous and have been plastered all over the road.

"I understand that safety is paramount but speeding is not even an issue in our road.

"If they had put one or two down that might have been acceptable but they certainly don't have to be as huge. It's so over the top. It was a lush green close and now it looks like a racetrack."

East London and West Essex Guardian Series: Hurst Close. Credit: Tracey GauldHurst Close. Credit: Tracey Gauld

The resident, who has lived in Hurst Close since the late 1980s, has described the work as a "waste of money" but says she doesn't want more money wasted taking them off.

Instead, she says she would rather the council focuses on putting these kind of signs when they are needed, such as on main roads or outside schools, and says if any work is needed in Hurst Close, it is to repair potholes.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series: Hurst Close. Credit: Tracey GouldHurst Close. Credit: Tracey Gould

Waltham Forest Council, which has replicated these 20mph signs in other parts of the borough, says it is "obligated" to comply with strict regulations on the size, shape, and spacing of traffic calming measures, based on guidance from the Department for Transport.

Deputy leader Cllr Clyde Loakes said the painted 20mph signs are the "least intrusive and expensive" measures, costing around £60 each.

He added: "Waltham Forest Council is coming to the end of its programme of works to ensure that all residential roads over which the council has jurisdiction have a maximum 20 mph speed limit.

"These works in Chingford will help make sure that all road users can travel safely and confidently across the borough - not least pedestrians and cyclists, our most vulnerable of road users."

East London and West Essex Guardian Series: Hurst Close. Credit: Tracey GauldHurst Close. Credit: Tracey Gauld

Responding to concerns about potholes, Cllr Loakes said: "All roads in the borough are inspected three times a year and are repaired by order of priority – the most serious issues on the busiest of roads will always be addressed first. Any reports of potholes received from members of the public are inspected by our highways team so that any necessary problems can be added to the repairs programme.

"Surface repairs were made in Hurst Close in late 2021. We continue to make our neighbourhoods as safe as possible for the benefit of all residents and visitors."