A majority of Oxford residents have said they would be in favour of the blanket ban on cycling in the city's parks being lifted.
Oxford City Council conducted a public consultation that ran from February 12 to April 8, to gather opinions on updates to the byelaws of the city's 130 parks and open spaces, which have not been revised for nearly 30 years.
Byelaws provide a basic set of rules around the use of public spaces to ensure people behave in ways which respect the enjoyment, wellbeing and safety of others.
They also aim to ensure the protection of habitats, wildlife and the wider environment.
Residents were asked for feedback through a questionnaire that was available online.
A total of 523 responses were gathered from the survey, not including separate suggestions submitted via email or letter.
It revealed 60 per cent of respondents were in favour of the updated byelaws in general.
A majority voted in support of each of the individual updated byelaws proposed.
A majority also supported lifting the blanket ban on cycling in parks, but there was a desire for it to be retained for Hinksey Park, other than use of the designated cycle route, and at the Trap Grounds and Lye Valley nature areas.
Despite general support for the byelaw relating to potential misuse of play areas by teenagers, a number of respondents questioned the proposal to enforce an arbitrary age.
It was suggested any clear misuse of play areas should be dealt with through the use of a general byelaw relating to causing obstruction or annoyance to others.
A significant majority of respondents did not feel they would be unduly impacted by the application of the updated byelaws other than in relation to cycling in parks, while a significant majority were also in favour of revoking the old byelaws regarding ball games, tree climbing and wild swimming.
Councillor Chewe Munkonge, cabinet member for a healthy Oxford, said: "We are grateful to everyone who took the time to share their views during this consultation.
"Your feedback is invaluable in helping us shape byelaws that protect our cherished parks and open spaces while ensuring they remain safe and enjoyable for all.
"We are committed to carefully considering all comments and will continue to engage with the community as we refine these proposals."
The council will now take time to consider the results, review the feedback received, and, where fitting, make amendments.
If the decision is made to proceed, the updated proposals will be advertised again in the future, giving the public another chance to weigh in.
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