A MASTERPLAN for Oxford Station is ‘out of date’ and a new transport hub should be built in Oxpens, it has been claimed.

Oxford City Council’s consultation on the proposed £125m station redevelopment finished last month and officers are currently reviewing a vast number of responses before considering changes.

Oxford Civic Society said proposed railway upgrades had rendered the council’s plan ‘out of date’ and that cycling and pedestrian access had been left out altogether.

The group’s head of transport, Andrew Pritchard, said: “We agree with the visions and objective and support the aim of a single transport hub but it has a number of serious defects.

“Although it mentions highly significant planned developments at the Westgate, Oxpens and Osney Mead – it doesn’t attempt to relate to them or achieve any synergy with them.”

The council’s vision has been more than a decade in the making and includes a new building fronted by a public square inspired by King’s Cross Station in London, with a new track installed and another platform built.

It would be flanked by shops, offices and a hotel, while a 480-space car park and bus interchange for up to 18 buses would be constructed further along in Becket Street.

Stagecoach managing director Martin Sutton said it was ‘regrettable’ that the bus interchange would be separated from the station and would no longer be immediately visible for passengers.

Dr Pritchard said: “Separating the bus station and the rail station will mean even poorer transfer arrangements than at present.

“The transfer between transport modes should be made as easy as possible but the separation worsens the situation.

A new track would be installed and another platform built to improve services.

Funding for the project is still yet to be found and Network Rail has put the revamp low down its list of priorities, which includes East-West Rail, Crossrail 2 and HS2.

Mr Pritchard said moving the station would improves its chances of securing the money.

He said: “The cramped nature of the present rail station site means that many of the aspirations for a better gateway to Oxford are largely unrealisable.

“We have argued for a very long time that the new transport hub stands a much better chance of being funded if it were located in the Oxpens development.”