A survey is being done to find out the need for cycle parking in east Oxford, following pleas from cyclists.

East Oxford councillors have asked Oxford City Council officers to carry out research, despite provision of cycling racks being Oxfordshire County Council's responsibility.

Oxford's Green leader Craig Simmons, who is also chairman of the city council's east area parliament, said councillors felt "things might happen sooner" by asking the city council to do the survey, rather than the county.

The county council has already agreed to fit 100 new parking spaces in Cowley Road as part of a £1.6m improvement scheme due to start next month.

But James Styring, spokesman for Oxford's cycling pressure group Cyclox, said there was a need for new secure parking frames in other areas of east Oxford.

He said: "I'm glad the city council is doing something about this because the county council is so slow.

"There are a lot of cyclists in this part of Oxford and it is not fair for them not to have somewhere secure to leave their bikes. I've had to resort to leaving my bike chained to trees."

There was also concern about a cycle track near East Oxford Primary School, in Union Street, where people had been parking cars.

Mr Styring said there had been several "near collisions" between cyclists and vehicles.

Mr Simmons said an officer from the city's business management department was due to carry out the research and £500 had been set aside from the area parliament's own budget if needed. He said: "We know that it can be frustrating waiting for the county council."

Iffley Fields city councillor Elise Benjamin said she had also experienced problems when cycling near East Oxford Primary School and a sign, which showed the area was a cycle track, would be displayed more prominently.

Research by Cyclox last year found the city needed 1,000 cycle parking spaces.

An Oxfordshire County Council spokesman said the council had invested £21,000 in providing 260 secure cycle frames in Bonn Square and St Giles, and the extra spaces in Cowley Road would help.