Residents say their views are being ignored as plans are made for a controlled parking zone in their area of Oxford.

Oxfordshire County Council is preparing parking restrictions for Marston South, after a consultation showed that 56 per cent of respondents were in favour of the idea.

But the poll has been criticised, because only 33 per cent of people who were sent survey forms responded, and only 257 voted in favour of the plans out of 1,400 households in the area.

A council spokesman said that the response rate was "in line with what is expected for this type of consultation".

Roy Darke, the chairman of New Marston South Residents' Association, said: "In effect, they're saying they can go ahead with a controlled parking zone with only 18 per cent in favour. That seems a funny kind of democratic mandate to me."

He said he believed many people did not respond because they did not have enough information and has criticised council officers for refusing to attend a public meeting, although they did agree to meet representatives from residents' associations.

He said: "The idea was for them to explain the technicalities, but that was categorically refused. I think they just don't like the idea of meeting people en masse."

The council proposed the zone after complaints over commuters parking in residential streets, but some residents oppose the scheme.

Joanna Bartlett, of William Street, said: "I just think this will never work. It's totally ludicrous. It's going to cause trouble, a lot of wasted money and wasted time.

"It's not something we need to be imposed on us from outside. They should just leave it alone. We don't really have a problem here, we sort it out between ourselves."

Residents will be consulted again once detailed plans have been drawn up, and before councillors decide whether to approve the scheme, probably in October.

James Tarin, of William Street, said that moves to ban parking on one side of the road would mean its residents used up spaces in neighbouring streets.

He has suggested a residents-only system with no lines on the road similar to what the county council wants to see in the Lakes and Northway.

A spokesman said that would not be possible, because Marston South needed some spaces for non-residents visiting shops.

Mr Tarin said: "They don't know that it's going to be beneficial for the Marston residents.

"They just know they want to do it and they will get some ticketing revenue out of it."

David Robertson, the council's cabinet member for transport, said the authority would try to work with residents, but added: "Sometimes compromises need to be made to ensure a working scheme is possible."