NEW parking bays have been created in a residential close to tidy up the area.

The 13 bays in Redmoor Close, Littlemore, have been installed as part of Oxford City Council’s £500,000 Great Estates project aimed at providing more off-street parking.

And following requests from residents, a tree was moved and replanted by the council’s parks team.

Gill Sanders, ward councillor for Littlemore, said: “They used to park on the grass, it used to get churned up.

It got really, really messy – it was not an attractive place.

“When I was there this week one of the residents came up to me and said what a brilliant scheme it was and how it had really improved the whole area.”

The new parking spaces were created on the grass area in the close, using brick paving with raised kerbs, and the grass area nearby has been protected by rails.

It is the fourth parking scheme to be completed by the council, with new parking bays already provided in Rose Hill’s Ashhurst Way and Monks Close, and in Blackbird Leys Road.

Mrs Sanders added: “There was a large tree that was on the corner of Redmoor Close which was going to be impacted by the development and when I met the officer on site some months ago I asked if they could keep the tree.

“It is a lovely tree and we don’t want to lose it. They dug it up and moved it to another part of the site.”

Cllr Scott Seamons, board member for housing, said: “We are committed to continue to deliver new parking spaces on our estates to solve long standing parking problems and improve the external environment in these areas.

“Many areas have been identified for action but it will take time to resolve them all with the council's budget pressures."”

Cllr John Tanner, board member for Cleaner Greener Oxford and ward councillor for Littlemore, said, “This is an excellent scheme which improves parking and keeps the green space for local residents. I hope this sort of scheme can be used elsewhere in Littlemore in future years."”

The city council budget for the project has been doubled to £1m and the scheme will be expanded to include improving the environment in communal areas in and around blocks of flats.