OPPONENTS of the £330m Westgate redevelopment are to mount a surprise bid to kill off the scheme.

A motion will go to next month’s meeting of Oxford City Council calling for the Town Hall to reconsider the Capital Shopping Centre plan to develop the shopping area and car park.

The city council’s building agreement with the developers comes to an end in December, with the planning permission to lapse in the spring.

And with no prospect of building work for at least two years because of the economic downturn, opponents of the scheme are to grab the chance to have the whole issue about what should go on the site reopened.

The motion from the Green councillor for the Carfax ward, Sushila Dhall, reads: “Given that the planning permission for the Westgate area lapses in March and that no building work has been started, and in the light of the continuing economic downturn, council resolves to return to the drawing board to look at the site again.”

It goes on to say a fresh, replacement scheme should provide greater community space, more affordable housing and small business units on the site.

Ms Dhall said: “We need to start all over again. What we need on this site is more public space and more housing. We need these things, not more shopping at a time of economic downturn.”

With mounting Town Hall unease about the lack of progress since the scheme was put on hold in July 2008, the leader of Oxford City Council, Bob Price, said the council would be seeking assurances that the scheme could be done “within a reasonable time period”, before any new development agreement is made.

Mr Price said: “The building agreement between ourselves and CSC expires at the end of the year. We hope that before the deadline arrives we have some greater clarity about the options and their intentions for the whole site.

“It is a deadline they are aware of and so are we. We would want to be clear that there is some expected outcome within a reasonable time period. It is important to regenerate this part of Oxford, with the Westgate car park. It is not looking brilliant at the moment. But I believe the bigger vision is still alive.”

Mr Price said the prospect of the Westgate development having to be reduced in size could not be ruled out, with even the flagship John Lewis store perhaps having to be scaled down.

Jeremy Collins, head of retail development at John Lewis, said the company was still determined to open a new store in the Westgate.

Last week, CSC said it would be going ahead with modest plans to improve the existing centre, in recognition that trade had been hit by its present “sad” appearance.

They will also be seeking to bring in new retailers, with some shop leases extended by two years, in a bid to end the ongoing uncertainty for existing stores.

Kay Chaldecott, managing director of CSC, said: “Now we have 100 per cent control, we have opportunities to remodel and improve the centre. It has been looking sad and sorry for itself, which has affected footfall. Now we can improve it visually.”

Leader of the city council’s Lib Dem group, David Rundle, said: “We have not received any update on the Westgate for some time. There have been delays because of the financial situation. It is important that we do not further compound the delays with local action.”