CONFLICTING information about temporary parking measures in East Oxford has angered traders.

Fewer spaces could be provided in the temporary car park set to replace St Clement’s car park when it is closed for a flats development.

About 50 spaces would be provided at Harcourt House off Marston Road, compared to the 112 at St Clement’s.

An Oxford City Council planning application had originally said 55 spaces would be provided.

And the authority had revised that down to ‘approximately 40’ late last week.

Now it has said 50 spaces would be open to the public while five ‘may’ be used by the owner of the site.

Alan Grosvenor, who runs Sevenoaks Sound and Vision in St Clement’s Street, said he was angry about conflicting information given by the council.

He said: “These kind of numbers matter, every space matters. Fifty spaces is just not adequate.

“They recognise they need to provide some temporary parking and this is their token effort. It doesn’t surprise me – it is typical of the council.

He said: “Given the number of restaurants in the area, people are not going to walk.”

The St Clement’s development of 141 bedroom students flats, which has not yet gained planning permission, would take 12 to 18 months to complete and the car park would re-open with 74 spaces.

Fishers seafood restaurant owner Martin Aguis said: “It is just not acceptable to walk that far, especially in the evenings.

“I’m against the buildings going up and I don’t know why they can’t have a staged development in two halves to keep some spaces open.”

He said: “There is a possibility we wouldn’t be around in a year because 75 per cent of our trade, from people who use the car park, would go.”

Councillors deferred making a decision on the St Clement’s plan last month for more consultation.

The planning application for the car park will also be decided by the city council.

The application says Harcourt House is about 400 metres from St Clement’s shopping area and “under 10 minutes walking distance and therefore would provide convenient access”.

A council spokesman said that only an approximate figure for parking could be given last week as a precise one was not available.

He added: “The council have been working hard to find an alternative site. It has proved impossible to find anywhere else within the St Clement’s area and the only one we could find which was suitable was at Harcourt House. We felt providing an alternative was better than providing nothing at all.”