RESIDENTS are ‘dancing the quickstep’ in a street closed to cars unexpectedly by the council, it has been claimed.

Walton Street was closed to traffic last year fro roadworks and was kept shut by Oxfordshire County Council when construction came to an end, as a means of improving air quality and congestion.

Some residents in the area, and motorists who used the road have criticised what they saw as an underhand decision by the council, as they had no say over the matter.

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But a group of residents on the street have gathered 650 signatures together to show their support for the council’s road blocks.

Presenting the petition at the county council cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Walton Street resident Jamie Hartzell said there were more people in favour of the closure than against it.

Mr Hartzell said: “To quote one of our signatories: ‘It is so great to go shopping in the area now the road has been closed; my wife and I are even dancing the quickstep in the street’.”

He added: “The closure of Walton Street is quite clearly a step in the right direction. The climate emergency can only be solved by ending our reliance on the car.”

READ AGAIN: Residents' group calls for Walton Street to be reopened to traffic

When Walton Street unexpectedly remained closed after roadworks were complete, residents expressed shock that the council had made the decision without asking for their say in a public consultation.

A counter petition to re-open the street has also been launched on Change.org by David Shepherd.

At the time of writing, the petition has 415 signatures.

It said: “All of the traffic which went up and down Walton St, is being forced to use smaller, residential side roads in order to get in and out of Jericho. I am sure the residents of Observatory St and St Bernard’s St are not happy with the increased traffic on their streets.”

Update: This article has been amended to correct the spelling of the name David Shepherd from Sheppard.