Road closures made permanent outside four Oxfordshire schools

Camera-controlled road closures are to be enforced permanently outside four Oxfordshire schools.

They will be implemented outside Windmill Primary School, Larkrise Primary School and St Ebbe's Primary School in Oxford, and outside St Nicolas Primary School in Abingdon.

A trial began last year with volunteers in the street implementing the changes.

The decision was made at an Oxfordshire County Council highway management meeting earlier.

The authority will now install automatic number plate recognition cameras "as soon as possible" as well as permanent signs displaying the closure times, based around when the schools start and finish.

Speaking in the council chamber, Andrew Gant, cabinet member for highway management, said the scheme was a key part of the council's local transport and connectivity plan, which was adopted in July.

He said it had been a "huge effort by volunteers up until now" and that he was "very proud".

He added: "It makes schools in the area around us safer and more pleasant, it encourages active travel which leads to better health outcomes, [and] we are looking to roll it out further."

During the meeting parents expressed support for the scheme.

Chris Heron, a parent of Larkrise pupils and one of the volunteers, said: "Oxfordshire's first few school street schemes are very welcome although we should note that London already has over 300 schemes.

"Many more of our schools should get school streets more quickly regardless of parent or school support, opposition, or ambivalence."

But Mr Griffiths, a resident on Whitehouse Road where St Ebbe's is based, said the closure led to a "harrowing experience" when a taxi could not take him home when he had an ankle injury.

Mr Gant said he had made a "valid point" and would look into possible solutions.

He also said the scheme as a whole would be kept under review, but he "hoped and believed" it would work.

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