PLANS to pedestrianise Kidlington High Street will take a step forward when consultation on the proposal gets under way tomorrow.

Cherwell District Council will unveil its ideas after securing £25,000 to develop the scheme.

Proposals to pedestrianise the village centre have been under discussion for almost 20 years.

A consultation exhibition organised by the Kidlington village centre management board and the district council will take place at the Oxford Road end of the High Street tomorrow and on Saturday, from 10am to 3pm on both days.

Visitors will be able to find out about the proposals to pedestrianise the road between Oxford Road and Watts Way, and restrict parking as far as Sterling Road Approach.

Members of the public will be able to view the plans, talk to representatives of both organisations and complete questionnaires about how they would like the village centre to develop.

Although the High Street is technically a pedestrian area for delivery and residential access, there is little enforcement of the traffic regulations. A recent survey recorded 106 cars passing along the street in an hour.

Traders have welcomed the plans.

Robert Windle, of Everything Health & Beauty, said he feared there could a serious accident unless something was done.

He said: “Children run out of the shops and straight across the road, and there’s nothing to stop them. There’s no kerb and it looks pedestrianised, but cars still go up and down here. I fear that one day a child is going to be killed.”

And he said removing traffic from the street would attract more market traders.

He added: “Trade is very poor at the moment, partly because of the recession, but partly the state of Kidlington. Bicester and Witney have made an effort, now Kidlington has to.”

Richard Gould, who has been a market trader in Kidlington for 30 years, said traders would benefit from people being able to walk along the High Street, but said safety was the primary reason for change.

He said: “The safety perspective is the biggest thing, but if it is pedestrianised, maybe people will be prepared to walk around the stalls a bit more.”

Parish councillor Chris Pack, the chairman of the management board, said: “Lack of control over vehicles in High Street is bad for shoppers, bad for business, bad for the environment and bad for Kidlington.”

Anyone unable to visit the exhibition can comment online at consult.cherwell.gov.uk from tomorrow until November 5