City councillors have delivered a blow to developers behind the new Westgate over car parking plans.
The Westgate Partnership has dropped plans to create temporary parking for 900 cars at Oxpens, a scheme viewed as essential if the £330m retail centre is to open in 2011.
Councillors were unhappy about a two deck car park for 519 vehicles on land next to Oxford Ice Rink.
Developers are now trying to find other sites to use when the Westgate car park is demolished.
The idea of transforming existing park-and-rides - potentially Redbridge off Abingdon Road - into two storey car parks are now being looked at.
Graham Jones, of Rescue Oxford, said: "Putting the car parking out to the park-andrride will not work for many people who want to come into Oxford."
City councillor Paul Sargent said the double Oxpens car park would "blight" a well used green area.
The developers will now have to be content with a two storey car park for 362 cars to be built on the site of the ice rink car park and the coach park.
Simon Ward, a spokesman for Westgate Partnership, said: "If an extension of Redbridge was feasible, it would probably be with another deck."
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