Residents fear community spirit could be lost when residents in a road vote on an environment plan that will affect hundreds.

People living in Grenoble Gardens in Palmers Green will vote on a number of different options to change the traffic flow through their road which runs parallel to the A406 North Circular.

The move by Enfield Borough Council and Bowes councillors comes as a result of complaints of a 'rat run'.

Among voting options are blocking entry to nearby roads to reduce traffic, widening the junction with Green Lanes or banning a left-hand only turn into two different roads.

The decision is in the hands of people living Grenoble Gardens but this has outraged residents of other affected roads.

George Mausy, 88, of Mitchell Road, Palmers Green, will lose his chance of taking the W4 route bus from his road and is “appalled” that other roads are yet to have a say.

He said: “I am appalled at the extent of disruption they will cause to hundreds of residents to the east of Grenoble Gardens. If options 1, 2 or 3 are implemented then road closures will cause chaos and segregate communities.

“I regularly take the W4 route bus and this gets me to my GP but I will no longer be able to take that. Emergency services will find it increasingly difficult to get to people who need help.

“No other road has been consulted and that is not fair. They say they will consult after the vote but we should have had a say in this from the start.”

Susan Reuss of the Weir Hall Ratepayers Association believes the road must take the fourth option, which is to widen the Grenoble junction with Green Lanes, to avoid affecting hundreds more people.

She said: “This will have a tremendous impact on so many people and they have not even been notified. There is only one viable option and that is option four which will expand the junction where Grenoble Gardens meets Green Lanes.

“It will damage the community spirit if any other option was taken.”

However, Melissa Darnell , who lives in Grenoble Gardens, feels they should be making the overall decision.

She said: “It is our road that is greatly affected, more than the surrounding roads so it should be our decision. We are the ones that have had to suffer 'rat running' down our road.”

Enfield Council’s cabinet member for environment, Councillor Chris Bond, said: “Following complaints from residents about 'rat running' and congestion in residential roads bordering the A406 we introduced proposals designed to traffic cutting through residential roads from the A406. These schemes will form part of a wider programme of works designed to cover a number of roads in the area.

“So far the existing schemes have helped to reduce the problems of rat running in the area but work still needs to be done to address this issue to reduce congestion and improve the quality of life for people living in this area.

“As a result we will be introducing similar schemes in neighbouring roads in the coming months and residents living in them will be consulted on those proposals in due course.”

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