OXFORD residents are hoping to take road safety improvements into their own hands, despite a £450,000 council scheme to improve roads in the area.

Under a new “DIY” project for Headington, signs, pavement markings and traffic calming could all be provided by the community for the community, based on each street’s needs.

Oxfordshire County Council is currently completing its own £450,000 New Headington Transport Improvements scheme.

Patrick Coulter, of Highfield Residents’ Association, said: “Within the residential streets it’s a matter of smaller measures and it’s possible for residents to do something.

“The theory is that different streets will get different things, depending on what they need.”

Residents have been working with Oxfordshire County Council to put together a DIY traffic scheme.

Frank McKenna, who lives in Lime Walk, said: “The community aim is to provide speed-reduction measures funded directly by the community or through community grants.

“Measures may include signs, pavement markings, narrowing the road and the like.

“Residents of the affected streets will be best placed to suggest and agree on measures to make their streets safer for walking and cycling. The aim is to build on the present scheme, which has generally been effective in making Highfield safer for pedestrians and cyclists.”

He added: “This could be a model for other areas seeking to make streets safer and more pleasant.”

Residents hope to find simple ways to deal with extra traffic caused by expansion of Headington’s hospitals and universities.

A similar community scheme has already gone ahead in Beechcroft Road, Summertown, to stop it being used as a rat-run between Woodstock Road and Banbury Road.

A fortnight ago the Oxford Mail reported on confusion in Headington over double-yellow lines which had been painted across some of the area’s streets.

The county council hoped they would make the area look more residential and discourage drivers trying to dodge jams elsewhere. But they have now been removed for fear of causing more confusion.

Council spokesman Owen Morton said: “We’ve had some initial discussion with Headington residents. We are waiting for them to come to us with proposals which we will discuss further with them.”