Parking spaces will be returned to Oxford's Broad Street if the Conservatives win control of Oxfordshire County Council at the forthcoming local elections.

That is the pledge from Cllr Keith Mitchell, leader of the Conservative group, who predicts a backlash from voters against the Labour Government on June 7.

Cllr Keith Mitchell The Conservatives have pledged to make transport policies more motorist friendly if they win control of the council for the first time since 1985.

The Tories hold 26 out of the 70 seats on the council with no party in overall control. They are hoping that a protest vote against the Labour Government and the Oxford Transport Strategy (OTS) could give them the ten seats they need to take control of the council.

The OTS, introduced in 1999, removed parking and traffic from Broad Street to improve conditions for pedestrians but many traders have blamed the move for reduced takings. The High Street was also closed to daytime traffic, apart from taxis and buses and Cornmarket Street was pedestrianised.

The Conservatives also plan to reverse many "anti-car" measures introduced across the county.

Cllr Mitchell added: "We would conduct a fundamental review of integrated transport schemes in Abingdon, Oxford, Banbury and Witney because we feel they are tilted against motorists."

In Oxford, the Tories plan to reintroduce parking in Broad Street and scrap on-street parking charges in the evening and at weekends.

The planned A40 bus lane from Oxford to Witney would also be scrapped in favour of other road-building schemes.

Cllr Mitchell said: "We have never been in favour of the bus lane and we would look for better ways of spending the £10m. There are plenty of villages crying out for bypasses and we would look at that as a way of getting traffic moving.

He added: "We are the biggest party and another ten seats would give us overall control of the council."

But Labour group leader, Cllr Brian Hodgson, said: "If they won control it would be a disaster for Oxfordshire."