High Street traders in Oxford are calling for "piecemeal" plans to repair the road to be urgently reviewed.

They have formed a pressure group, High Priority, which is challenging Oxfordshire County Council to live up to expectations sparked by its newly launched Transform Oxford Plan to make the city centre more pedestrian friendly.

Jeremy Mogford, one of the founders of High Priority, said county hall should just patch up the worst damaged sections of the road, while plans for major restoration were drawn up.

The group has said the improvements could be modelled on a scheme undertaken in London’s Kensington High Street.

Mr Mogford said: "We welcomed the Transform Oxford ideas. But our concern is proposals for the central section in High Street are being progressed without sufficient thought to the international heritage status of the street and needs of the local colleges, businesses, residents and visitors.

"In the context of the declared aspiration to reduce the impact of buses in the High, it seems very odd to base the current design on creating more space for bus manoeuvres at the expense of improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists and better communal use."

Graham Jones, secretary of the group, said: "We want to see a High Street of which we can all be proud and we are prepared to wait two to three years for that to happen rather than public money being spent too early on a half measure scheme that satisfies no one."

But he recognised some "minimal works" would have to be spent on the carriageway to ensure safety.

County council head of transport, Steve Howell said: "We're certainly open to listening to what Mr Mogford and the High Street traders have to say.

"There is no doubt that at least a fair amount of work will have to be done to keep the High Street up to standard. We are currently considering this carefully and will need to make a decision shortly about what should happen on the High in the short to medium term."

A £7m cut in Government funding meant plans to repave High Street with York stone were abandoned, with the proposed work largely limited to resurfacing The council has said it hoped to reduce bus numbers by ferrying people through the city centre in giant 'super buses', picking up passengers at a new terminus near Magdalen Bridge or South Park.