Westgate redevelopment sceptic Sushila Dhall has had 5,000 postcards printed, urging city residents to back her calls for the scheme to be 'called in'.

The city councillor wants Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly to examine the project before deciding whether it should be approved because, she said, Oxford City Council has too much of a vested interest.

The postcards will be distributed to every household potentially affected, with a plea to post them back to the Town Hall.

The city council finds itself in the position of being both landowner and planning authority for the £300m shopping centre redevelopment, which is due to be considered later this month.

Confidential documents have warned that Oxford would suffer serious economic damage if the redevelopment was unsuccessful.

Ms Dhall said: "Whatever happens to this piece of land, provision should be made to take the buses out of Queen Street.

"But the application has just been plunked down like a fait accompli and people have been hypnotised over the years.

"Anyone who comes in from the outside and looks at the application would be able to be objective - it's impossible for the planning officers to be objective. They say they have done consultation but it has been biased."

The 5.1-acre Westgate site is currently worth £8m, but once the development is complete, the Town Hall's share would be worth £50m.

Papers concerning the application leaked to the Mail warn: "Poor design standards of the proposed development, were they to occur, would adversely affect the future economy and environment of Oxford, and adversely affect the council's reputation."

The city council has the opportunity to withdraw from its contract with the Westgate Partnership if several 'show stopping' milestones were to occur, including the scheme failing to get full planning permission.

A council spokesman said: "If members are minded to support the proposals, subject to conditions and an accompanying legal agreement as recommended, then there is a requirement for the application to be forwarded to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

"Usually only where a scheme is extremely controversial or where its impact is of national or regional significance does the Secretary of State decide that it is more appropriate for her, rather than a local council, to make the final planning decision."