IAN Hudspeth’s feathers were well and truly ruffled when we pointed out last week how it appeared a little odd that in literature pumped out to promote the long-term vision of pedestrianising Oxford, a picture of a bus appeared.

Ultimately, Oxfordshire County Council wants to remove buses from Queen Street. Good show, we say.

But in Transform Oxford leaflets, unsuspecting shoppers enjoying a newly-paved Queen Street — one that looks worringly similar to Cornmarket Street — are about to get mown over by a red bus.

Actually, rather like it is now. But not an image the authorities want to promote, we are sure you will agree.

Mr Hudspeth, the county council cabinet member responsible for transport, said: “The first phase of work in Queen Street involves the removal of bus stops and some, but not all, buses — hence the inclusion of the bus.

“The removal of all buses will come later.”

We’re glad you have cleared that one up, Ian.

It is unlike us to heap lavish praise on councils. But it has been known: this is one such occasion. Well done Oxford City Council for the excellent upkeep of its parks — particularly Bury Knowle Park in Headington and Headington Hill Park.

Both look in great nick amid the rich autumn colour.

It’s a shame that not more people are using them. But then again, perhaps it’s not.

A SPY tells us the Boundary Commission is “unlikely” to consider Oxford City Council’s plan to grab land from South Oxfordshire District Council on the southern outskirts of the city in a bid to hasten its aim of building homes close to Grenoble Road any time soon.

You may remember a cross-border dispute broke out earlier this year between the two councils over the idea. Town Hall bosses in Oxford hoped the grey suits would consider the idea next year.

But we are told a backlog of work at the commission means that this dispute will not be looked at until 2010-11 at the earliest. Best put up the razor wire until then.

Has David Brent been drafted in as a consultant at County Hall? We only ask because of the emergence of a rather naff acronym more suited to the hit TV sitcom The Office, staring Ricky Gervais, than the corridors of power at Oxfordshire County Council.

Apparently, all members of authority’s decision-making cabinet have recently been having their mid-term appraisals — and they are all being assessed under the rather politically-correct acronym SMART — which stands for Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Relevant and Timebound. Yes, we are baffled too.

But we’d love to see council leader Keith Mitchell doing David Brent’s signature dance around his office as he assesses his troops one-by-one.