A new environment action plan agreed by Oxfordshire County Council has been released to coincide with Conservative leader David Cameron promoting green policies.

That's the claim from Craig Simmons, Green city and county councillor, who spoke out after the council's cabinet on Tuesday approved the plan "to set an example to businesses and residents across the county".

The action plan, to make the council's own buildings more environ- mentally-friendly, is at the centre of a project called Future First that was set up in April last year.

But Mr Simmons said it was a watered-down version of a far more radical plan that was drawn up by a working group and then shelved by the county council.

Mr Simmons said: "It looks like this latest plan has been sitting on the shelf for some time and is being rush-released to coincide with national proclamations by David Cameron that the Con- servatives are somehow going green.

"Far more radical proposals put forward by the Green group have been shelved in place of these rather weasel words.

"This plan is tweaking minutiae rather than tackling major policy decisions such as whether or not to build an incinerator in Oxford- shire. Introducing free evening and Sunday parking in Oxford city centre has certainly not helped the environment."

Witney MP David Cameron has been urged voters to "think blue, go green" in the run-up to local elections on May 4.

Roger Belson, the county council's cabinet member for sustainable development, said: "The council already works hard to be environmentally friendly but it needs to do more. We cannot preach to people encouraging them to do their bit in their homes and businesses if we are not setting the example ourselves.

"These are not fine words. They are backed by a determination for action. Councillors and senior officers will have this at the top of their agendas as they pursue the council's priorities over coming weeks and months."

The council has pledged to reduce CO2 emissions from its buildings.

Friends of the Earth spokesman Andrew Wood said: "If the county council's Tory administration wants to go green it could rule out burning Oxfordshire's waste in an incinerator."