RESIDENTS in around 70 homes have signed a petition against a traffic diversion along their road.

Poverest Road in Orpington, is currently the alternative route for heavy vehicles which can not cross Chislehurst Road Bridge which has had weight restrictions since February.

Chairman of the Poverest Safer Road Campaign, Mike Batchelor, says that their road has become a race-track, with vehicles speeding along it.

He said: “Previously we had a bus going up and down once every half an hour.

“There are too many with the number 61 coming down every eight to 10 minutes.

“People are worried about different things- some mention subsidence to their properties, others to noise pollution.”

The campaigners are pleased some issues have been dealt with.

For instance a speed display sign has been repaired at the top of the road, letting drivers know how fast they are travelling.

In April, News Shopper reported that Bromley Council had painted double yellow lines along the road in an attempt to stop cars parking opposite the traffic islands in the road.

Residents complained that without parked cars, traffic was able to speed up along the straight stretch of road.

Bromley Council has now removed sections of the yellow lines put down in April, allowing cars to park outside homes which are not next to traffic islands.

Mr Batchelor said: “It has certainly slowed traffic down, particularly the buses and heavy goods vehicles.”

Portfolio holder for the environment, Councillor Colin Smith, said: “It’s very difficult to envisage a different detour that is going to be shorter, safer or satisfactory to the public.

“It’s looking like three years at the earliest to replace the bridge.”

He said the council were having to apply to Network Rail to get permission to carry out work over the rail track and that might take two years to get.

In the meantime he understood the diversion was not ideal for Poverest Road residents and was looking to make issues such as parking as palatable as possible.

Campaigners are still collecting signatures for the petition before giving it to the council.

For more information about the campaign visit poverestroad.org.uk