It should have been big enough to house a plush coffee shop for commuters to pick up a cappuccino and a croissant on the way to work... but Redbridge park-and-ride users will now have to settle for a vending machine at best.

Despite splashing out £400,000 on the site's new bus terminal - which ran months over schedule - red-faced Oxford city councillors have admitted the building is not big enough to take the shop they had promised.

And the extra £10,000 in retail revenue has now been struck off the books.

The blunder was raised by the council's finance scrutiny committee as part of a review of predicted savings in the current financial year.

Labour group leader Bob Price, who chairs the committee, branded the budget blunder a disgrace.

He said: "This was a firm part of the budget.

"Six months later we have failed to get this income because the building was not big enough.

"The design must have been known at the time. To have it emerge now is disgraceful."

The committee's vice-chairman, Green Party leader Craig Simmons, pointed the finger of blame at ruling Lib Dem councillors.

He said: "The whole reason for the building was to help the council gain revenue and provide a facility for people using the park- and-ride.

"It's appalling in terms of the lack of service and there's a direct hit on our bottom line."

Lib Dem councillor Jean Fooks, the cabinet member responsible for the scheme, said the original plan had been to include a coffee shop, but it was too expensive.

She said: "The tenders came in higher than budget so the building size had to be reduced."

Ms Fooks said at the time this year's budget was set, councillors still believed the building could house a retail outlet and raise £10,000 in income.

She added: "Now we know there's not enough space.

"We are actively pursuing vending machine agree- ments.

"Hopefully, they will be in place for next year."

She said the saving was due to be recovered from other areas within the car parks budget.

But overall, the car parks department is not on track to meet its predicted savings in 2007/08.

Officers had hoped to save £100,000 through the controversial policy of 'lone working' for security guards.

But it has now been revealed that the policy, which sparked a bitter dispute between staff and council chiefs, has only saved £60,000.

Mr Price said had the reduced figure be known at the time it could have affected councillors' views on the policy.

He said: "The fact it was going to save a lot of money was a big factor at the time."

The city council is planning to transfer its Seacourt, Redbridge and Pear Tree park-and-ride sites to Oxfordshire County Council, believing the highways authority should have total control. The transfer is expected to take place before April next year. '