Work being done to fix city's 'appalling' path

Councillor Susanna Pressel said she was "ashamed" of the council for letting the path get into such a state

Work to fix a busy city centre road which is in an "appalling state" is being done urgently, a senior councillor said.

A section of Queen Street between the Westgate Centre and Bonn Square in Oxford currently has uneven paving and tarmac.

Labour councillor Susanna Pressel complained last month that the stretch needed to be resurfaced without delay and raised the issue at a council meeting on Tuesday.

Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for transport management, Andrew Gant, said the authority and the Westgate Centre's owners are working to fix the "complicated issue" as soon as possible.

But Pressel said she found the officers' response to a question she asked about the "disgraceful" path to be "quite smug and complacent" and said she was "ashamed" of the council.

Gant, a Liberal Democrat, said there is a "complicated backstory" as to why Yorkstone was used for the original path, why it has failed and what can be done in the future to prevent a repeat.

The area between the Westgate Centre and Bonn Square is one of the city centre's busiest spots

He said the multiple reasons for the path's failure include some buses which drive over the path now being powered by electricity rather than diesel.

"It is a complicated issue so officers are absolutely not smug and complacent about this," he told the council.

"It's a serious issue and we are working hard to fix it."

In March, a Westgate Centre spokesperson said the road was "originally planned as a pedestrianised walkway" with the surface fitted for this purpose, however the "current vehicular usage" had led to deterioration of the surface.

They added that it was working with relevant parties to "enhance the overall experience for both our guests and the wider community".