THE Government is being urged to help secure “a world-class transport hub” for Oxford by halting the sale of an eight-acre site at Oxpens.

The British Railways Board (Residuary) (BRBR) is ready to sell off the Thames-side site, but a last ditch appeal has been made to Transport Secretary Philip Hammond to intervene.

It is feared a sale of the site would finally kill off hopes of using it for a new city railway station.

The area surrounding the site is owned by the city council.

Dr Graham Jones, transport spokesman for Oxford City Council’s Lib Dem group, said the Government needed to step in immediately.

He said: “We have just a few days to save the only option to replace Oxford’s inadequate railway station with a transport hub worthy of a world-class city in the 21st century.

“The present station is too small for today’s passengers.

“The best site for a new station, the old railway yard at Oxpens, has been put up for sale. It means relocating is in the frame again, but only if the Transport Secretary Philip Hammond can be persuaded to tell BRBR to put the sale on ice.”

Network Rail and Oxfordshire County Council are currently focusing on major improvements to the existing station, with a scheme to create a new platform on part of the station’s long-stay car park off Becket Street.

This followed a feasibility study by engineering consultants Arup which established the cost of improving the new station would be substantially less than a new complex.

But Mr Jones warned creating “a stretched station” on the current site amounted to “a sticking plaster job.”

He added: “A new decked station at Oxpens would be the centrepiece of an attractive mix of retail, hotel and leisure facilities, plus some much needed housing.

“Oxpens could cost £50m-plus, twice that according to one estimate.

“But Oxpens station equals two to four Blackbird Leys competition swimming pools.”

The site, formerly a goods marshalling yard, off Osney Mead, is described by agents Lambert Smith Hampton as “the largest land sale in Oxford since 2003.”

The agents say they have asked for expressions of interest before September 30.

In the West End development plan, the Oxpens site is earmarked for hundreds of homes, shops and a new primary school.

Network Rail spokesman Russell Stink said: “We are aware of the local aspiration for a new transport hub on this site.

However, there has been no detailed work to look at whether this might be delivered.

“If there was a serious proposal from a local authority or party wanting to investigate the feasibility of making it happen, we would be happy to do the work if funding was available.”

Rodney Rose, county council cabinet member for transport, said: “Ultimately any decision relating to land belonging to Network Rail would rest with them”