Some residents oppose Balham 255 bus route extension

Residents in Balham opposed to plans to make their residential street a bus route will have a chance to voice their concerns direct to bus chiefs at a public meeting later this week.

Bosses from Transport for London will be attending a public meeting in Balham on Wednesday evening to discuss their plans to extend the 255 bus route along Old Devonshire Road.

This proposal was first mooted in the summer of 2009 but was met with a wave of opposition from residents in Old Devonshire Road, who argued that their street was unsuitable for a bus route.

They maintained that it was too narrow for buses and that the additional noise, fumes and traffic congestion would hugely outweigh any benefits from extending the route.

Other residents voiced concerns over the loss of parking spaces to accommodate new bus stops and also in providing spaces where buses could pass each other.

TfL chiefs want to provide services in both directions starting at 5.50am and continuing throughout the day and night until 12.50am six days a week. The frequency would be every 12 minutes in both directions, which would reduce to every 20 minutes in the evenings and on Sundays.

The council's transport spokesman Cllr Russell King said: "This idea was first floated two years ago but was put on ice by TfL after sparking high levels of local opposition."It is therefore disappointing, and also in my view quite surprising, that these latest proposals are virtually unchanged from the ones rejected so overwhelmingly by Balham residents in 2009.  

"No-one is denying that improvements to bus services are vital in south London and we support TfL's aims in looking to expand services where appropriate.

"However, some parts of the city are simply not suited to be part of a bus route and in our view, and in the view of the residents I have spoken to, Old Devonshire Road falls into this category.

"What is important now is for residents who would be affected by this proposal to make sure their voices are heard. They can certainly make their case direct to TfL at this week's meeting and in addition, they should also take part in TfL's consultation.  "If the residents do not speak out now then their voices are unlikely to be heard."

Dave McEvoy, Chairman of the Weir Estate Residents Association, who currently are without any transport connections in their part of Balham, supports the implementation of the route. "Residents have waited a long time for this route and many are keen for it to be implemented.  Though we are sympathetic to our community neighbours, we believe the latest set of proposals more than adequately allay any concerns and TfL has provided conclusive solutions to these concerns.  We hope to finally see this much needed bus extension bringing freedom to many not only living on Weir Estate but our entire community."

The public meeting is being held at 7pm on Wednesday, July 6 at the Salvation Army Hall, 38 Balham High Road.

To take part in the consultation and to find out more about the proposals visithttps://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/route-255_2/consult_view  

The consultation continues until July 15.