Plants and flowers could be used to slow down drivers (From Oxford Mail)

Plants and flowers could be used to slow down drivers

7:00am Friday 15th July 2011 in News By Rhianne Pope

PLANTS, flowers and flashing signs could all be used as part of DIY-measures to slow down drivers in Headington.

Members of the Highfield Residents’ Association have spent years trying to stop their roads being used as rat runs.

In 2008 they presented a 350-signature petition to Oxfordshire County Council, pleading with officials to close off some of the roads.

And they say a £220,000 scheme announced by the council in March does not go far enough to stop roads like Lime Walk, Stapleton Road, Bickerton Road and Latimer Road being used as short cuts.

Residents’ chairman Patrick Coulter said: “Because of the budget cuts, the scheme we really wanted was cut in half.

“All the speed reduction measures were taken out, which was really disappointing.

“So we have decided to look at some do-it-yourself measures.”

Mr Coulter said: “We would do things like putting some plants on the edge of the footpath and the road.

“A nicely decorated plant pot on the side of the road creates a sense of people having to slow down.

“And we were thinking about buying a flashing speed sign collectively, so it could be in one street one day and then moved the next.”

He added: “We just want to talk to people and see what they think.

“We were quite critical because we had worked with the council for four years on the plans and we feel they could have kept the budget as it was.

“It’s an unfortunate sign of the times.”

Other plans could include painting on the road, or parking cars in a particular way to narrow the road.

The £220,000 county council scheme included improving cycle lanes, zebra crossings and raising 10 sections of road at various junctions.

But plans to ban right turns from London Road and Old Road, close Old Saints Road at Barrington Close and rearrange parking were scrapped.

County council spokesman Gemma Watts said: “Community traffic calming schemes including features such as planters have been developed elsewhere, including a ‘DIY’ scheme in Beech Croft Road, Summertown.

“These schemes require the council’s permission and it would be willing to consider proposals from residents for similar schemes, although introduction would be subject to available funding and resources.”