It makes sense for the county council to have a rethink about its immediate plans to carry out repairs to the High Street, Oxford.

As one of our correspondents said this week, we are happy to wait two or three years for work to take place if we are going to get a high-class scheme.

It is a big if, of course, because, while the county council has said some of the initial stages of its Transform Oxford plan will be completed within existing budgets, it has been less forthcoming about how the scheme as a whole will be funded.

Oxford is a world-class city and its public spaces deserve world-class treatment.

We doubt that Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council on their own can afford to do what Oxford really deserves.

The economic climate will not help matters either and must at least place doubts over the immediate availability of developer funding.

We should ask too whether it is right that the county and city councils alone should be responsible for giving Oxford a city centre appropriate to its status.

We think not. Oxford is a city of national and international importance. It educates business and political leaders not just for the UK but for the entire world. It is a tourist destination for millions who come from all parts of the globe.

It follows that what happens in Oxford is a matter of national importance and that work in the city centre should attract some national funding and should be eligible for major grants of Lottery funds.

Indeed, with the economy as it is, spending money in places like Oxford ought to be a Government priority. It is exactly the sort of scheme that will help to restore vitality and confidence.

We trust that the county council and its partners will be exploring all funding avenues as they develop their plan to transform Oxford.