AN OVERFLOW car park to replace the Westgate multi-storey has “jumped the gun” according to a city council transport boss.

The car park at Osney Lane was granted planning permission to be opened once 150 city centre car parking spaces had been lost because of the redevelopment of the Westgate shopping centre.

But Labour city councillor John Tanner said the spaces would not be lost until the redevelopment of the centre had begun.

A decision on the planning application for the £400m redevelopment of the Westgate Centre, is expected by the end of the year and work could start early in 2015.

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Parking firm UPark Ltd is running the temporary facility, which opened two weeks ago and charges £6 for all-day parking.

Mr Tanner said: “Every illegal parking space in the centre of Oxford draws in another car to add to the traffic jams. I’m not happy this pop-up car park has sprung up, I hope we can close it as soon as possible. The city council car parks are more expensive but also more secure, I think they’ve jumped the gun.”

A temporary two-storey facility with 420 spaces is being built in the Oxpens car park.

He added: “We gave them permission to open the car park once work had started on Westgate and 150 parking spaces had been lost.

“We are building a second storey at Oxpens next to the ice rink and coach parking will be out at Redbridge so we haven’t lost those space yet.”

Oxford City Council said they were looking into the issue to see whether planning permission had been breached.

Spokesman Chofamba Sithole, said: “Planning permission for a temporary overflow car park was granted subject to a condition that it should not operate until at least 150 city centre car parking spaces had been lost.

“With the closure of the Oxpens car park, and the temporary use of part of the Westgate car park for a coach drop-off/pick-up point, the operators claim that the requisite number of spaces have been lost. The council is waiting to hear from the operators how they complied with the terms of the condition.”

The car park off Osney Lane charges £6 for all-day parking from 7am to 7pm. Car parks at Westgate, Abbey Place, Worcester Street and Gloucester Green all charge in excess of £20 for any more than 8 hours parking.

UPark Ltd refused to comment.

CAR PARK CHARGES

  • Oxford City Centre Car Park Charges (8-24 hours) Sunday to Friday.
  • Westgate – £23
  • Abbey Place – £23
  • Oxpens – £23
  • Worcester Street – £25
  • Gloucester Green – £25
  • Osney Lane – £6*

*For all-day parking from 7am to 7pm.

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