From Annette Koshti-Richman

SIR. It has come to my attention that the Cavendish Road and Cromwell Avenue Home Zone in New Malden has won the Local Government News Street Design 2005 competition.

I would like to draw your attention to the following: Even before the Home Zone's inception, the idea was fraught with controversy.

The scheme has created an area where residents are regularly threatened and receive aggressive verbal abuse from drivers using the scheme inappropriately, either by driving the wrong way down one-way streets, driving too fast or simply blocking residents' driveways when parked.

Where damage has been done to wooden barriers, it has taken months to get these removed and fixed, only for them to be damaged the next day. The scheme has created dangerous blind spots for both drivers and pedestrians trying to negotiate the road.

Residents have written to the directorate of environmental services with their concerns and in one instance it took five months to receive a reply.

The scheme may look aesthetically pleasing but, to many, has created an area of hostility towards those trying to use the scheme safely. Drivers continue to ignore one-way signs and no-entry signs. It is understood that the scheme will be discussed at a neighbourhood committee either this month or next, but dates for this have not been published to residents.

ANNETTE KOSHTI-RICHMAN Cromwell Avenue New Malden