CHANGES to the way motorists, buses, blue badge holders and taxis will be able to use High Street and St Aldates are likely to be passed this week.

Oxfordshire County Council could approve changes, including a new 30m loading bay outside the Covered Market.

Other changes would include the removal of a loading bay outside the Mitre pub, while blue badge parking, east of Turl Street, will be moved elsewhere.

Some vehicle loading would be allowed on High Street and St Aldates. That will run daily from 7.30am to 9.30am and from 4pm to 6.30pm.

The county council first advertised changes to the bus stop and waiting and loading at the west part of High Street last autumn.

It also sought to reinstall a taxi rank outside the Mitre immediately to the west of Turl Street in the same plans.

The proposals were put to the cabinet member for environment, Yvonne Constance, last November.

But she asked officers to revise proposals that would ‘minimise the impact of providing a new taxi rank on loading provision and traffic flow’.

She is likely to accept the changes – which can be seen in full on the county council’s website – at a meeting on Thursday.

Thames Valley Police did not object to any of the proposals.

They were also broadly supported by the public, with 89 per cent of people supporting them for St Aldates and 87 per cent for High Street.

In total, 70 people gave views on the changes. There were five people opposed to the plans for High Street and one against plans for St Aldates.

Oxford Bus Company said it was opposed to the plans for the taxi rank on High Street, which said a two-car limit on it will be unenforceable.

It said it worries ‘taxis would spill out’ of the rank, with implications for other road users.