Neighbours in Manchester have redesigned their road in an attempt to banish speeding traffic and recreate a safer street.

Penn Street in Manchester is the first of 11 DIY Streets pilot schemes launching across England and Wales to enter its construction phase.

Residents spent last weekend erecting totem poles at their street’s entrance to narrow the junction, and installing plants further along the road to act as chicanes.

The construction follows two years of community meetings led by Sustrans and supported by Manchester City Council. The residents’ success in slowing down traffic and putting an end to shoppers using the street for free parking could see the DIY Streets project rolled out across the UK.

Cllr Richard Cowell, Manchester’s executive member for environment, said: ‘This is slightly different from the normal traffic-calming schemes that are in place across the city, and we look forward to seeing how successful the scheme turns out to be.’