A road closure that aims to stop a street being used as a 'rat run' has proved controversial with residents and motorists.
Planters have been installed to block people turning into Woodville Road at its junction with Haydn Road in Sherwood, as part of a trial by Nottingham City Council that will run to February 28.
The aim of the scheme, the council said, was to create a safer and more welcoming environment for residents, pedestrians and cyclists.
People living on Woodville Road were full of praise for the closure, which they said had made the area more safe and stopped it being used as a 'cut through'.
Adam Hughes, 45, a joiner who lives near the planters on Woodville Road, said: "It's a good idea, people use it as a cut through and come round the corner at speed.
"It makes it safer round here, which is especially important as there is a school nearby.
"I've seen cars turning left and then realising that the barriers are there, people are a bit confused at the minute but I think it will get better."
Judith Robinson, 75, who is retired and also lives on the road, said: "People do speed around here and use it as a shortcut to Mansfield Road lot of the time, but it really came as a surprise.
"We will have to see if it works, I've seen a lot of people reversing and going back when they see it."
Lucy Wareham, 38, a lecturer at Nottingham Trent University who lives on Drayton Street off Woodville Road, said: "This road is a cut through for people who tend to be dodging the lights and are in a rush.
"It used to be a busy road but it has definitely made it quieter already. It will delay us a bit when coming home but it's worth it I think.
"The issue is the lights [traffic lights on Haydn Road], they could do with being a bit slower to change to let more people through so you don't get people wanting to cut through and avoid the queue."
The mother-of-two added: "Because I have kids if they walked on their own it would be through here, and people do come round quick so it could be dangerous."
Cars were seen attempting to turn in and out through the junction, only to have to reverse back and some drove the wrong way up the nearby one-way street in order to cut through.
According to some locals, one driver had even driven on the pavement to avoid the new planters.
For motorists and those living on Haydn Road itself there was concern that it would create problems elsewhere and that the problem of the traffic lights at the top of the road, which locals say do not let enough cars through, had not been addressed.
Anton Benjamin, 37, who works as an electrician and lives on Haydn Road just across from the new closure, said: "It's good for people living in these streets [Woodville Road and the surrounding streets].
"But it has caused everything else to be slower because you can't cut through, at 9 or 10pm last night there were still cars outside our house.
"I had people parked up looking into my living room, I don't think it's going to be here for long as it doesn't really help a lot of people although I get that this road will be happy with it."
John Davies, 49, a builder from Derbyshire who comes to a nearby coffee shop frequently, said: "They're creating new problems and not addressing the cause.
"People only cut through there because the lights are so slow, so it just pushes the problem onto another area instead of sorting it.
"I do understand why it goes in the favour of the residents a lot of the time, but this change will annoy and frustrate a lot of drivers."
Councillor Rosemary Healy, Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio for Transport, said: “We are aware that people regularly use Woodville Road as a ‘rat run’ to avoid traffic lights on the main road.
"This creates issues for local residents and a danger to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. We are trialling a road closure at the junction of Woodville Road and Haydn Road to see if this creates a safer, more welcoming environment for residents, pedestrians and cyclists.
"During the trial period residents are encouraged to contact the council with feedback, which will be assessed and a decision made whether to make this scheme permanent.
“We consulted widely on this scheme before starting the trial, and residents were very supportive. They were then informed in writing prior to the installation of the planters.
“There is always an adjustment period when new road layouts are introduced and, in light of a number of comments regarding signage, we are organising additional advance warning signage at the junction of Drayton Street/ Woodville Road and Broxtowe Street/ Woodville Road.”
A similar trial was planned on Arndale Road but these plans are currently being reviewed as a result of local opposition.
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