Traffic calming measures being introduced in Streatham Hill could put residents at risk by lengthening the time it takes for the Fire Brigade to reach homes.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said introducing so many speed humps in such a large residential area will “seriously compromise the brigade’s attendance time” to addresses there.

The LFB’s scathing assessment of the council’s plans to introduce the traffic calming measures as part of the Streatham Hill 20mph zone are included in an officer’s report on why the £200,000 scheme was given approval.

The zone affects the streets bounded by Streatham Hill, Leigham Court Road, Leigham Vale, Norwood Road and Christchurch Road.

Council officers decided despite the LFB’s objections, the road safety benefits outweighed the increased attendance times by fire appliances.

The new zone, on which work is set to begin this month, covers some 25 streets which will receive speedhumps, red antiskid surfacing, pedestrian islands, speed tables, speed cushions and humps.

Only 8 per cent of residents responded to a consultation held by the council on the plans last year, but it was largely approved by residents who did respond.

A number of residents signed petitions saying traffic calming measures, and the reduction in speed limit were not necessary in the area.

Kingsmead Road, Kinfauns Road and Northstead Road will be excluded from the scheme as a result.

LFB supported reducing the speed limit in the area, but objected to the traffic calming measures that would impede its access.

A council spokesman said: “On this occasion officers felt on balance the potential road safety benefits from implementing a new 20 mph zone outweighed the concerns about emergency services’ access.”

He said Lambeth’s streets were getting safer year on year with the number of people killed on the borough’s roads dropping by around 48 per cent since the mid 1990s.

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