Police and fire service headquarters could be relocated as part of a scheme to create a 'northern gateway' to Oxford.

The idea of creating an emergency services base at Pear Tree, near the park-and-ride site, is being explored by city planners.

And the public is to be consulted on what would be a major move for the county's emergency services. It is believed moving to an area beside the county's main trunk roads could significantly boost emergency response times.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said there were no plans to move out of St Aldate's station. New police and fire service headquarters would only fill part of the large site between the Wolvercote and Pear Tree roundabouts.

The city council has said it could be turned into an impressive new entrance to the city from the north, featuring research and business units linked to Oxford University.

City council leader John Goddard said: "This is a piece of land within the city boundary, that is dominated by major roads and is currently not doing much.

"It could be developed to be some sort of business park and to accommodate the county's emergency services.

"It would make it easier for the emergency services to serve the city and to get out to the rest of the county. It is under consideration."

Mark Jaggard, the city's planning policy manager, said consultation documents were now being drawn up, with the gateway scheme included in a soon-to-be-published strategic plan for the city. He added: "We want to hear what people think about it.

No decisions have been taken yet. But it is an interesting idea that we will be examining further."

Oxfordshire ambulance service, with bases at the Churchill Hospital and near Oxford Airport at Kidlington, while interested, is understood to have most difficulties with the idea.

Most of the land is owned by St John's College, with Arlington, owners and developers of the Oxford Business Park in Cowley, holding an option on the site.

Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell, said: "We are very much at an exploratory stage with this.

"However, there is a general willingness to look together at what all of the parties would like to achieve."