Police are tonight planning a major new security operation at the Holy Cross primary school in north Belfast where loyalists have called off their blockade.
Tomorrow morning, Catholic parents will be able to take their children to class free from protests along the flashpoint route for the first time in 12 weeks.
Glenbryn loyalists agreed to halt their protests after accepting a package of security measures including closed circuit TV, speed ramps and increased police patrols following an intense round of negotiations on Friday. Attention has now switched to securing talks between the Catholics and Protestants.
However, the PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan maintained a cautious approach, with a major operation remaining in place on the Ardoyne Road
"We want to make things as normal as possible but still have arrangements if there's trouble."
He said hoped to progressively scale the police presence down to much more normal levels, despite the fact that concerns have been expressed that the blockade has yet to be declared over for good.
Fr Aidan Troy, chairman of the Holy Cross board of governors, insisted people should not be too concerned by loyalists declaring the picket was suspended. "I'm interpreting that as their phrase to move out of where they have been," he said. "One good day without difficulty will be the foundation for it becoming normal."
Ms Anne Bill, a spokeswoman for the Glenbryn residents, was adamant that it is now up to Stormont executive to follow through on its promises. "If security in the community can be addressed then people are quite happy to keep the protest off for good," she said.
PA