County council plans to pedestrianise the centre of Oxford have been branded a “half-baked election stunt” by senior city councillors.

City leader Bob Price, deputy leader Ed Turner and Colin Cook, the board member for city development, said they had long supported the general idea, but attacked Oxfordshire County Council for the release of its vision – which they branded as “Cloud Cuckoo Land” ahead of next year’s elections.

The trio claimed the county’s scheme lacked substance.

Mr Turner said: “We welcome pedestrianisation but this is just a half-baked election stunt.”

Referring to county leader Keith Mitchell, he added: “This is not so much Kaiser Keith, more Cuckoo Keith living in Cloud Cuckoo Land.”

But Mr Mitchell insisted last night it was the county council’s vision and it would be up to the authority to worry about funding.

Mr Price said: “What they haven’t done is come to us and talk about it. We feel slightly miffed about the whole thing because we are happy to work in partnership with them.”

They agreed they would “love to see Queen Street pedestrianised” and had held “hard negotiations” with relevant parties about its viability. But they accused the county of rushing out its ideas, which include the possibility of bendy buses and a bus terminus at The Plain.

Mr Price said: “Are we going to turn the Plain into a bus station?

“The majority of people in the city who live in the east will have to get off their bus at The Plain and wait for another bus. It’s not an attractive proposition and it will cause significant damage to the retail and commercial heart of the city centre.”

Mr Turner said: “With regards to the finance, they have managed to find the money for the leaflet, but there is not a penny identified in funding for the scheme.”

Mr Price added the cost of the first phase would be at least £30m and the whole project could cost £100m – money he said the county did not have.

Mr Price also criticised the plans for making “no reference” to cyclists.

Mr Cook said a plan to revitalise Broad Street, outlined by design consultant Kim Wilkie in 2004, had now been effectively brushed aside by the county council.

The trio also said the city’s two bus companies would be unlikely to want to buy a new fleet of buses, and wondered how buses were expected to turn around at the start of the proposed pedestrianised area in Magdalen Street.

County council leader Keith Mitchell said: “We had quite a discussion with the city council well before we launched our vision, and it is our vision.

“It wouldn’t work without consultation and co-operation from the city council, bus companies, land owners, traders and other people.

“It is our vision and we are entitled to take it forward one stage at a time. At the end of the day, the city council is unlikely to commit any funding to the project and it will be up to us to worry about the money.”