A BUSINESS leader in Oxford has called for the ban on petrol and diesel car in the city centre to be scrapped - but so far the public response to the idea has been positive.

Graham Jones, of ROX - Backing Oxford Business - said firms operating in the city centre could have 'extreme difficulty' in complying with the zero emissions zone as they have large fleets of diesel and petrol vehicles that would need to be replaced.

He spoke out as the city and county councils revealed the results of a consultation on what would be the world's first Zero Emission Zone, designed to cut pollution levels.

Out of 755 responses, 70 per cent said tackling poor air quality in central Oxford was 'very important'.

Twenty-eight per cent said the proposed zone was appropriate, 45 per cent said the zone area should be widened, 20 per cent said it should be smaller, three per cent had no opinion, while four per cent did not know.

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In the scheme, unveiled in October, all petrol and diesel vehicles would gradually be banned from most of

the city centre over the next 17 years, starting with six streets in 2020.

Mr Jones said: "It would be far more sensible for the two local authorities to drop zero emissions as a target and, over the next two years, carry out research, working with all stakeholders in the city on finding fair, realistic and achievable ways of reducing the levels of pollution.

"If and when the electric vehicles first become available they will be fairly expensive and beyond the budgets of many of the transport owners, large and small.

"Most, whether companies, institutions or individuals will need sufficient lead time, covering several years, to purchase suitable new electric vehicles."

Mr Jones said smaller independent businesses would be hit hardest, including traders at the Covered Market, who have already expressed concerns that their businesses will be hit when the ban is introduced for six streets in 2020.

Officers at Oxfordshire County Council, the highways authority, and at the city council, have been analysing more than 750 responses from individuals and businesses but can not say yet how many businesses responded.

After 2020, the area of the zone would be gradually expanded in an attempt to cut levels of harmful Nitrogen Dioxide and other pollutants produced by diesel and petrol engines and linked to health problems.

John Tanner, city council executive board member for a Clean and Green Oxford, said: "I’m thrilled that most people are backing the proposal for a Zero Emission Zone in Oxford city centre.

"The reason for carrying out the consultation was to understand, in detail, what people’s needs are, so we can minimise the impact of the Zero Emission Zone on business and residents while maximising the impact on the city’s health."

Yvonne Constance, the county council’s cabinet member for environment, said: "Now the hard work begins to see how we can implement the zone whilst allowing Oxford to thrive economically and remain a wonderful place for its residents to live.

"We are working with stakeholders, innovators and funding bodies to explore how we can use technology and new infrastructure to enable the ZEZ transition.”

Phil Southall, managing director of Oxford Bus Company, said: "Technology is not advanced enough and Government funding is highly unlikely meaning combined costs for key stakeholders would run into hundreds of millions - this has not been factored in.

"Until these issues are worked through the proposals are too ambitious in the short term.

"We believe the solution is to introduce an Ultra Low Emission Zone in 2020 and a Zero Emission Zone when the required technology and funding is available."

Despite a 36.9 per cent reduction in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels across Oxford in the last decade, parts of the city centre are still failing to meet legal limits on the pollutant.

For more information about the ZEZ proposals visit oxford.gov.uk/zez