REPLACEMENT parking for the Westgate redevelopment has been branded “totally unsatisfactory” as the number of spaces in Oxford city centre could be almost halved. The Westgate Alliance is planning to spend £400m redeveloping the city’s shopping centre.

But this involves demolishing the shopping centre’s multi-storey car park, which has spaces for 1,090 cars.

The city council has set out a series of options for spending £3.3m for up to 619 replacement parking spaces at Oxpens.

This would include 250 spaces at the Oxpens car park plus another 200 on nearby land owned by British Railways Board (Residuary).

Another 109 could be included on a raised temporary deck at Oxpens, but the council has admitted this would be outside the £3.3m set aside.

A coach drop-off point could be included in the scheme.

Graham Jones, of traders’ association ROX, said the number of spaces was not enough. He said: “I think it is totally unsatisfactory. We are talking about a period of three years, and during the Christmas period the current car park is overflowing.

“The council needs to be putting in extra levels.”

Once the Westgate car park is demolished and the Abbey Place car park – which has 80 spaces – is closed, a permanent replacement will not be available until the end of 2017.

This means for three years there could be a reduction in the number of spaces by up to 720 if no decking is used to create another level. Chris Farren, of the Covered Market Traders’ Association, said: “It is vital that the city council should try to get as much parking as it can. If it doesn’t it will have an affect on our business.”

Authors of a report to a full meeting of the city council on Monday say there are enough unused spaces within the existing park and ride and city centre car park network to accommodate those lost as part of the development.

The existing coach parking at Oxpens will be moved to the Redbridge park and ride off Abingdon Road, where 35 spaces will be created, leading to a loss of 259 of the existing 1,470 car spaces at the site.

Though the authority says the £3.3m earmarked will not stretch to decking, the council has said it would be installed if there was demand, the money coming from its park and ride works budget.

The report says the intention is to include the temporary deck in the planning application, adding: “The council will then have the discretion to either provide the deck or to wait until demand proves itself.”

A decision will be taken at the meeting of the city council at 5pm on Monday at Town Hall.

THE CHOICES

  • Having no coach drop-off point will give rise to an extra 60 places if the county council is able to create an on-street drop-off point
  • The city council’s options (not taking into account the 200 spaces on BRBR land)
  • No decking at Oxpens with a coach drop-off
  • point – 250 places
  • No decking at Oxpens with no coach drop-off point – 310 places
  • Decking at Oxpens with a coach drop-off point – 359 places
  • Decking at Oxpens with no coach drop-off point – 419 places