A WINCHESTER road is turning back the clock for its children.

St Catherine’s Road in Highcliffe is believed to be the first in Hampshire taking part in the “Play Street” initiative.

Local parents have got permission to temporarily close the road to allow children to play outside their homes in the road without fear of being knocked down by traffic.

For any person over 50 years of age playing in the street was a given, before near-universal car ownership made it too dangerous.

Organiser Helen Fisher, a mother of two, said: “We think we are the first in Hampshire, as far as we know. It was started in Bristol by a group of mums.

“We held our first one in April and we have about 25 children at each session. It is up to them what they do. At the last one a resident had a load of empty boxes after some deliveries and the children made dens.

“When I was growing up, I was always playing out on the street with friends – it was just part of what we did. I wanted my children to experience this, even just once a month, and enable adults and children to socialise together, be active and have fun.

“We had such an overwhelming response after the first play street – people were stopping me in the street telling me how great they thought it was and my children keep asking when the next one is!”

“It is a good way of getting the community out. I have a neighbour, a widow, and she does not get out very much. She came out and ended up playing tennis with a little boy. She said how great it was to get out of the house.

“There is something about children being able to play outside their houses. You get a sense of community ownership. People come out of their front doors and mix.”

Ms Fisher arranged with the city council for a section of St Catherine’s Road to be closed off last Friday between 3.30pm-5pm. Cars remained parked by the road and the children played around them.

She said there had been no issues with non-parents after a meeting was held and concerns aired and people reassured.

Ms Fisher said she is happy to offer advice for other local roads that may want to do something similar. “It is easy to do.” she said.

Her son, Jude, aged six, said: "I love play street. It's great being able to scoot down the road."

Local parents are fully in favour. Seb Mayfield, father of a four and six-year-old, said: “We love it. it is great to take the road back from the cars every so often, and see everybody out of the houses and getting a chance to congregate in an area usually out of bounds.

“There’s no reason why this can’t work in other places,”he added.

Project co-founder Alice Ferguson said: “As the evenings get lighter we all look forward to spending longer outdoors and children in particular gain so much from being able to play freely outside.

“The problems of overweight, sedentary children are growing in our society and giving them the chance for regular, semi-supervised outdoor play in their own street is one powerful solution to this. In addition children need to feel part of the place they are living in and connected to those around them. Playing out gives them this chance and brings together neighbours of all ages, strengthening a sense of community.”