Cowley residents plagued with dangerous parking by parents picking up children from school are celebrating after a new scheme was completed.

It has taken two years since residents of Cholsey Close, led by father-of-two Dermot Nolan, petitioned Oxford City Council's Cowley area committee for something to be done to make parking safer.

And now a £36,000 scheme to provide 15 off-road parking spaces along the close - one for each house - has been completed.

Mr Nolan said: "The road was built in 1955 and designed for a time when people cycled or walked to work.

"We had two plain greens which weren't suitable for playing ball games and we put a plan together to put in 15 parking spaces which cuts into the green."

He said: "One of the biggest problems is related to the school across the road, Church Cowley St James School.

"Every day at 3.20pm and 9am for up to half an hour, parents of school children are parking at the top of the close on both sides of the road so an ambulance or fire engine couldn't get in.

"And people leaving for work can't get out either."

Six of the 15 parking spaces - which are not allocated to individual houses - are at the entrance to the close.

Mr Nolan said he was hopeful parents would use these spaces and no longer park illegally on the road - as to do so, they would have to park in front of other spaces and block them in.

He said: "It was chaotic. This wouldn't be essential in every close, it's the school across the road that makes the difference."

Shah Khan, who represents Cowley ward on the city council, said: "The school is only about 50 yards away and all the mums and dads park there.

"Some of the residents of Cholsey Close are quite elderly and at least one is disabled.

"What was happening was they weren't able to park anywhere near their house which I was quite concerned about.

"Also, if an ambulance or fire engine was needed, they definitely couldn't get through and that's obviously dangerous."

The Cowley area committee has also earmarked Cumberland Road and Normandy Crescent as areas which need to have new parking put in place.

It has estimated each scheme could cost up to £50,000.