NEWS that the Westgate’s £400m redevelopment should pave the way for the long awaited-pedestrianisation of Queen Street has been welcomed.

The removal of buses from the busy shopping street is among transport changes being lined up in advance of the new Westgate opening in 2017, with a substantial re-routing of buses.

Westgate development manager Sara Fuge said: “We are supportive of pedestrianising Queen Street.

“It would link Westgate to the existing retail area of Oxford, an area that would stretch from Debenhams all the way to the John Lewis store on Thames Street.”

The county’s pedestrian plans for Queen Street go back to 2009, when bus stops were removed, with pavements widened and bus numbers reduced.

County council leader Ian Hudspeth said the new Westgate provided a one-off opportunity to finally complete the council’s pedestrianisation plans, which stalled two years ago.

With the Westgate Alliance announcing that internationally renowned architects Glenn Howells will design the three-floor John Lewis store, plans have been drawn up to close Norfolk Street, with the re-routing of buses between Thames Street, Abbey Place and Castle Street.

GHA designed the John Lewis store in Exeter and is the first of four architects to be appointed for the Westgate redevelopment.

Preliminary transport ideas are expected to figure in a public consultation on Westgate plans next month, prior to an outline application later in the year.

Mr Hudspeth said closing Queen Street to buses would require County Hall, the city council and the Westgate Alliance working closely with bus companies to decide on alternative routes.

The county’s £985,000 Transform Oxford project to pedestrianise much of the city centre over five years was an early casualty of council spending cuts.

The council leader is now hopeful Westgate developer contributions, using a section 106 agreement, will help fund the Queen Street pedestrianisation.

He said: “We need to build on the work already done with the bus companies.

“Buses would still need somewhere to turn. We would want to get everything in place before the shopping centre reopens.”

Sushila Dhall, chairman of the Oxford Pedestrians Association, said: “We want to see Queen Street pedestrianised, as it was supposed to have been according to the Oxford Transport Strategy Inquiry back in 1999. Queen Street has become more pleasant but if you take all buses out they will have to go somewhere and in St Aldate’s the pollution levels have risen. That is the dilemma.”

Phil Southall, Oxford Bus Company operations director, said: “The devil now lies in the detail . We need to continue the discussions to agree where the buses displaced from Queen Street can pick up.

“The park-and-ride network is going to be crucial to the success, as there will be no extra parking spaces provided in the new scheme.”