Mother slams removal of parking in Access to Headington scheme after daughter was flattened by speeding cyclist

Elizabeth Cann's daughter Emily was knocked over by a cyclist while walking up The Slade near Windmill Road in June 2013, knocking out teeth and scarring her face.

Now the mum-of-two is worried Oxfordshire County Council's Access to Headington road improvements scheme could lead to other youngsters suffering the same fate as her seven-year-old daughter.

The solicitor who lives off Old Road, Headington, fears the installation of cycle lanes and removal of car parking spaces in the scheme will increase speeding.

Recalling her day of daughter's accident she said: "We were on the way home from the childminder's and going along the Slade by the ring road.

"We stopped at a pedestrian crossing, looked both ways and made sure there were was nothing coming but when my daughter stepped out into the road she was flattened by a speeding cyclist.

"She landed on her face and had to be taken to hospital in an ambulance on a body board, which was very traumatic and upsetting for her and us all."

Mrs Cann said Emily's baby teeth were knocked out in the accident, meaning her adult teeth could not form normally in her mouth.

Emily, now a pupil at Windmill Primary School, also has scar on her cheek.

Mrs Cann said she feared a repeat of the accident could take place if plans for Access to Headington go ahead as the new road layout would allow for increased speeding from cyclists and drivers.

The project would see on-street cycle lanes introduced as well as shared cycling and pedestrian paths in an attempt to encourage people not to use cars.

She said: "If you remove parking for cars and introduce cycle lanes, all vehicles will just speed up making it very dangerous for pupils walking to school."

Oxfordshire County Council has run two public consultations on the scheme: one last summer and another in February and March this year.

Windmill Primary School sits at the heart of the proposal area but complained that it was not formally consulted on the plans, with governors saying the scheme raises "huge" safety concerns for pupils.

Governor Geoff Sutton said: "The loss of parking could double the risk to hundreds of children walking to school each day.

"At the moment there is a heavy flow of traffic along Windmill Road but if you take away the opportunity to park on the road, drivers will inevitably speed up.

"If a child is hit at 35 miles per hour they may well die, which is why we really want the council to think about what is the safest option for residents."

County council cabinet member for transport David Nimmo Smith will make a final decision on what elements of the scheme to go ahead with on Thursday, April 28.

Construction work is due to run from July or August 2016 to spring 2018.