CONTROVERSIAL plans to move bus stops out of Queen Street will go ahead after county councillors rejected a proposal to send the idea back to cabinet.

The £985,000 scheme was called in by 11 Liberal Democrat councillors who were concerned the plans, approved two weeks ago by transport chief Ian Hudspeth, would increase congestion and traffic pollution in St Aldate’s where more people live.

They also objected to spending money on an interim surfacing scheme for Queen Street which would be replaced when it is fully pedestrianised.

The plans for the first phase of Transform Oxford will see 28 fewer buses pass eastbound through Queen Street every hour with an extra 26 buses moving northbound through St Aldate’s instead.

But Craig Rossington, the council’s principal planning officer for Transform Oxford, told councillors at an environment and economy scrutiny meeting today that the plans would not be significantly detrimental to air quality in St Aldate’s. Air quality in Queen Street would be improved by a greater proportion.

Seven councillors (six Conservative and one Labour) voted not to call in the Queen Street decision, with three councillors (two Liberal Democrat, one Green).