The county council's Labour group leader has been accused of making a U-turn in her stance on controversial traffic measures.

Councillor Liz Brighouse gave an impassioned speech at a full council budget meeting in Oxford last week where she said she would stop the implementation of a workplace parking levy "with every breath in her body".

Her quote was aimed at the county council's highways chief Andrew Gant as she said: "I will stop you putting workplace parking levies in our maintained schools across this city."

The controversial levy is a charge to businesses for staff parking places at their premises which attracted particular criticism from teachers at County Hall during the meeting.

The tax would result in a monthly fee for staff parking spaces under a set of conditions.

It has since been pointed out that Ms Brighouse later voted for a budget which would spend "millions" developing a workplace parking levy.

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Oxford Mail: Liz Brighouse.Liz Brighouse. (Image: Oxfordshire County Council.)

The Labour group leader has reiterated her comments were made in relation to schools rather than a general implementation.

Ms Brighouse said: "I was very clear that it was about our schools.

"There cannot be implementation before the consultation gathers the views of residents."

Oxford Mail: Andrew Gant.Andrew Gant. (Image: Ed Nix.)

Mr Gant said: "Before a decision is made about its implementation, the county council will be talking to and consulting employers and residents on the level of charge and who would be included in the scheme. 

"No decision has been taken on whether schools would be included."

Conservative county councillor Ian Corkin has suggested he is still dissatisfied with Ms Brighouse's sentiment despite her reference to schools.

Mr Corkin said: "Ms Brighouse was very forceful about a workplace parking levy in maintained schools but doesn’t much care about the private sector.

Oxford Mail: Ian Corkin.Ian Corkin. (Image: Oxfordshire County Council.)

"There is also a history of Liberal Democrats ignoring the outcome of consultation.

"And there are lots of other trades and professions - they can’t give an exemption to everyone."

Criticism of Ms Brighouse also comes amid a separate formal complaint being made about Liberal Democrat council leader Liz Leffman to the authority's standards and monitoring officer on the back of the budget meeting.

Oxford Mail: Liz Leffman.Liz Leffman. (Image: Contributed)

The complaint is in response to Ms Leffman saying: "The one thing we will not compromise on, I can tell you right now, is that we are going to introduce the workplace parking levy and we are going to introduce the ZEZ."

There is ongoing consultation on the ZEZ scheme and details around the workplace parking levy are yet to be finalised.

A county council spokesman said: "Any complaints received will be dealt with through the normal process under the member’s code of conduct.”