Plans are under way to introduce 20mph speed limits in an area where schoolchildren have called for safer streets. 

A re-consultation is taking place for the existing 30mph limits in Harwell to be replaced.

This concerns multiple roads in the centre of the village.

Proposals mirror those put forward in a consultation carried out in December 2021 which had been approved by the county council's cabinet member for highway management in February 2022.

But the plans have had to be put forward again due to the expiry of the statutory two-year period in which they must be implemented.

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County councillor for the Hendreds and Harwell Division, Sally Povolotsky, said: "There were issues on the consultation and residents' concerns around some of the calming scheme, which have now been addressed in the redesign."

Ms Povolotsky added that residents had been in favour of the changes in the first consultation.

She said: "The ambition is to calm traffic inside of Harwell, and make roads safer for all users but this is part of a larger scheme of work.

Oxford Mail: Councillor Sally Povolotsky.Councillor Sally Povolotsky. (Image: Oxfordshire County Council.)

"But, the consultation will be the decider, and its up to residents and I hope they will have their say again."

The 20mph proposals are part of a Road Traffic Scheme linked to a traffic calming scheme that is ultimately a parish scheme "paid in full by developer Taylor Wimpey".

Ms Povolotsky added: "I am in favour of any scheme where there is high volumes of traffic, of road safety, and like all schemes in my division, the parishes request the 20mph, nothing is imposed.

"In Harwell we have even had a young school attending road user at parish meetings asking for safer streets and routes to school."

The county council's cabinet approved funding of £8m for 20mph schemes to be rolled out across Oxfordshire in February 2022. 

This is part of the authority's 'Vision Zero' plans to help prevent road tragedies. 

A county council spokesman said: "The proposals align with the ambition and policy of Oxfordshire County Council to make local built environments safer and more attractive places to walk and cycle.

"To enable this, 20mph speed restrictions are being used to help promote alternative modes of transport for local travel."

Oxford Mail: Harwell aerial view.Harwell aerial view. (Image: Google Maps.)

The consultation will run until 5pm on Friday, February 23 and responses are to be reviewed, with a report prepared for presentation at a cabinet member for highway management meeting later in 2024.

Harwell is in the Vale of White Horse District and it is about two miles west of Didcot.

Historically in Berkshire, it has been administered as part of Oxfordshire since the 1974 boundary changes.

Notable residents of the village include Klaus Fuchs who was a nuclear scientist and Soviet Spy.