Controversy surrounds a major new cycle route linking Botley with Oxford city centre, just after plans were revealed.

Oxford City Council claimed public reaction to the first phase of the scheme had been muted with only five per cent of the 445 homes consulted bothering to respond.

James Styring, chairman of the cyclists' campaign group Cyclox, said cyclists would welcome the new path.

But others, like Susanna Pressel, the Labour city councillor for Jericho and Osney, said there were serious concerns over the proposed route.

Although the city council is dealing with the three-phase scheme one section at a time, Ms Pressel said the project depended on getting a compulsory purchase order for a public right of way across Osney Lock.

Without that, she said the new route had little point, because a path used by cyclists already existed from the western end of Botley Road on to Osney Island.

She said she had received at least 30 responses from local people objecting to the planned route.

Ms Pressel said: "They feel it would be a waste to spend money on phase one because the path is there already."

Wendy Broadway, of Oatlands Road, off Botley Road, who responded to the plan, said the money would be better spent on tree and shrub planting to make the area more attractive.

The city council said people would be consulted on every phase before it went to the area committee for discussion.