OUTDOOR cafes are threatening to clutter to Oxford's streets, spoiling views of the city's historic buildings.

The warning comes in a report from city council officers, who appear bent on throwing cold water over the idea of Oxford fully embracing an outdoor cafe culture.

The issue of whether Oxford should lead the way in Britain by allowing continental-type street cafes to spring up across the city's historic streets looks set to degenerate into an unsophisticated planning row.

Mortons, in Broad Street, and Pret A Manager, in Cornmarket, have both submitted applications to create outdoor seating, which go before the city's central, south and west area committee on Tuesday.

Officers are recommending that both bids to extend street cafes in Oxford should be refused. But those wanting to see Oxford trying to create the cafe atmosphere of cities like Rome and Paris will be appalled to find clutter being held up as a reason for refusal.

Broad Street has already been described by English Heritage and others as one of the most cluttered streets in the UK, with the number of street signs and ugly street furniture blamed. Parking in the street and delivery vans have also been blamed for spoiling one of Europe's most beautiful streets.

But officers say: "The external seating area and associated furniture will add to the existing clutter of the street." It also warns the seating area would mean the loss of loading areas on the road, essential to shops and would get in the way of the free flow of traffic.

Balliol College has also complained that noise from the cafe would disturb students.

Similar objections about clutter are made about the Cornmarket cafe.

But the cafeowners have good reason to hope councillors could yet serve up a surprise. City councillors previously ignored the advice of officers to allow street cafes at 11 and 19 Broad Street.