School streets to be trialled in Banbury, Carterton, Didcot and Headington

A number of school street trials to encourage safer, healthier and more active school day starts and finishes have been given the go ahead at an Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member decision meeting today – 11 December 2025.

The school streets trials approved are:

• Edith Moorhouse Primary School and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Carterton

• Harriers Banbury Academy, Banbury

• Willowcroft Community Primary School and St Birinus Boys School, Didcot

An extension to the existing school street for Sandhills Community Primary School in Headington has also been agreed.

School streets restrict motor vehicle access to the area near the school entrance during school start and finish times only and would be enforced by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “Since the county’s first school streets were trialled in Oxford in 2021, our school communities have reported back to us on the considerable benefits that a comparatively small arrangement can make for the school gate environment.

“I am inspired by how positive the feedback has been from them – parents, carers and pupils enjoy a healthier, and a calmer and safer environment during the rush of school drop-off and pick-up. Residents on school streets are able to enter and exit their homes and start or finish the working day more easily without stress from school run traffic or vehicles parked blocking them in.

“Being able to park at a nominated site close to the school and walk the last little bit helps for people who need to combine the school run with other journeys. It doesn’t really take more time than queueing to find a parking space by the school and loses the stress of navigating other school rush traffic trying to get away to get to work on time.

“Some people have concerns about how a school street might impact them, and this is why we’re trialling them first. We want to make sure that school streets are a really positive experience for everyone.”

County council officers will work with the schools in the new year to implement the school streets trials. All households who may need an exemption for themselves, and/or a carer or family member will be written to later in January so that these can be arranged. Other considerations such as parents/carers needing exemptions due to their or their children’s disability or illness can be arranged through the schools.

It is anticipated the school street trials would begin in March. The school street restrictions and ANPR cameras will only operate during the approved times around school start and finish, on school days and covering the entry point.

Trialling the school streets will allow residents, schools and communities to feedback any aspects of the school street that need improving to help shape a better plan for the future.

Notes 

• The details of the school streets approved to be trialled are:

  • Banbury - Harriers Banbury Academy, 8.15am - 9.15am and 2.30pm - 4.00pm. Covering Harrier's View from the junction with Bloxham Road

  • Carterton – Edith Moorhouse Primary School and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, 8.15am - 9.15am and 2.30pm - 3.30pm. Covering Carter’s Close, Edgeworth Drive, Home Close, Lavender Place, Richens Drive, Rose Close and Spurrett Gardens, and Lawton Avenue between Alvescot Road junction and Arkell Avenue/Rock Close junction

  • Didcot – Willowcroft Community Primary School and St Birinus Boys School, 8.00am - 9.00am and 2.30pm - 3.30pm. Covering Abbott Road, The Croft, Glebe Road, Kynaston Road between Mereland and Ridgeway Road junctions, Mereland Road between Abbott and Kynaston Road junctions, Richmere and Ridgeway Roads. Addresses in Sinodun Road, Abbott Close and Bridge Close in Didcot would also be exempt as they are reliant on streets within the school street for access

  • Headington – Sandhills Community Primary School, 8.00am - 9.00am and 2:30 - 3:30pm. Previously covering Terrett Avenue, Elton Close and Sweet Green Close. The trial will bring in Delbush Avenue – from the Merewood Avenue junction up to the Hill View junction to the existing school street arrangement. The existing trial school street for Sandhills community primary school in Headington, was approved to be made permanent at a cabinet member decision meeting on 9 October 2025. During its trial it became clear that there was a need to trial extending the area to include Delbush Avenue due to impacts from school run vehicles parking across the pavement in the Avenue

• Residents and businesses either in the school streets or whose access to their addresses is dependent on the school street can register their vehicles for exemption, and for specific vehicles that need to maintain access to their homes during school street times – such as carers. Other exemptions also apply including emergency vehicles, blue badge holders, certain service vehicles and carers. Oxfordshire County Council will publish more information in January. Any further enquiries can be emailed to SchoolsActiveTravel@Oxfordshire.gov.uk

• ANPR cameras are triggered by vehicles (not people) entering a set trigger area – in which case they photograph the vehicle’s licence/ registration plate details, and an automatic notice is issued if that registration is not on the school street’s exempted list. They do not record continuously and would be set to work only during the approved times stated above

• Officers will be looking at a range of mitigations identified during the recent consultation period including the opportunity to add a double yellow line on the Bloxham Road opposite Harriers View, to deter unsafe parking

• More information about school streets:

  • Report to cabinet  This webpage includes the report to cabinet and the supporting information documents relating to the proposals

  • Oxfordshire Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan

  • School streets (including details of existing school street locations and operating times, and exemptions)

• Oxfordshire County Council’s plans for a greener, fairer and healthier county are set out in Oxfordshire’s strategic plan 2025 - 28. School streets are a part of Oxfordshire County Council’s Local Transport and Connectivity Plan. This aims to deliver a net-zero Oxfordshire transport and travel system that enables the county to thrive while protecting the environment and making Oxfordshire a better place to live for all residents

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