A SCHEME which saw roads closed during drop-off and pick-up times outside schools is set to be extended.

School Streets aims to improve road safety, while encouraging more walking and cycling, plus improving air quality near schools.

It was initially a six-week pilot of road closures outside of nine primary schools across the county

This week it was revealed the scheme would continue. 

Here are the schools where roads will be closed to traffic, including the teachers: 

Oxford:

  • Larkrise
  • East Oxford 
  • St Christopher’s
  • St Ebbe’s
  • Windmill

Abingdon: 

  • St Nicolas

Witney: 

  •  Tower Hill 

The schools took part at various stages between March and June, having been chosen through expressions of interest and suitability.

The trials were delivered by Oxfordshire County Council, in partnership with the national walking and cycling charity, Sustrans.

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Surveys showed 62 per cent of people supported the idea with 65 per cent of pupils feeling safer when travelling to schools.

The plan is to roll out more School Streets in the spring although a council report acknowledges ‘volunteer capacity is an issue for many schools’ and that ‘permanent signage and camera enforcement is required to limit the reliance on volunteer stewards’.

Sarah Payne Riches, public health registrar at the county council, said: “One of the reasons the use of volunteers was such a good approach to take with this pilot was that we had people on the ground who had been trained and could engage members of the public about the programme and what it is trying to achieve.

“This also tried to create support for more permanent School Streets going forward.”

On the data, she added: “Support was much higher among school parents and residents who were parents, with support lower amongst residents who did not have any other links to the schools.

“Among residents only, about 46 per cent supported it and 41 per cent did not.”

Read more: Six schools team up to form new partnership

Louise Upton, chair of the council’s Health Improvement Partnership Board, added: “I know one of the problems with School Streets is volunteer fatigue.

“They cannot keep doing this forever so there is a possibility that some ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras can be used for short periods of time to affect behavioural change and then you can move it to the next school, so it may not have to be that expensive.”

Motor vehicles other than buses were restricted outside schools during term-time, applying to both school and through traffic.

Roads saw orange and white cones, or barriers, placed along the road to stop cars from going through, with signs telling drivers not to park in their area.

The restrictions also applied to school staff.

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