PENSIONERS and families confronted transport officials at a public meeting last night over changes to bus routes which they claim will leave them cut off.

Both the 178 and B16 journeys are being changed as part of the Kidbrooke Village development which will soon see Tudway Road and Moorhead Way closed off for good.

But it means some people living in estates surrounding the £1bn rebuild project face walks of 15 minutes or more to Kidbrooke Park Road in order to pick up the revised service.

On July 4, a large group, including many elderly residents, some of whom had walked for half an hour to get there, turned up at the Kidbrooke Village regeneration centre to vent their anger at Transport for London and Berkeley Homes.

And in a one-hour meeting which started with placard-waving, the residents and their ward councillors won a series of commitments on the scheme.

Dolly Wyles from the Brooklands Estate tenants and residents association claimed walking times estimated by TfL would greatly increase for elderly people and those struggling home with shopping.

Another resident shouted out: "You didn't put our estate into consideration. We should have been informed. You've just got no understanding of people have you?"

But Greenwich Council's strategic transport manager Kim Smith told them: "The council has agreed to go through with this redevelopment and as part of that we knew these roads were going to be stopped up."

The meeting ended with Berkeley Homes committing to building a walkway linking Brooklands with Kidbrooke Park Road before the buses are changed.

Transport for London also agreed a group walk around to examine the walking times to the new stops and to look at suggested alternatives.

A consultation on the plans closes on July 27. Visit consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/kidbrooke