AN IMPORTANT archaeological investigation will begin on Monday around the site of the proposed new £300m Westgate Centre, with the work likely to add to city centre parking problems.

The archaeological work will be phased over a six-week period and will mean some car parking having to be closed at specific times.

The initial archaeological investigations will be carried out in the next few weeks on behalf of the Westgate Partnership, the company behind the massive retail and residential development.

The work is expected to centre on small areas around the car parks surrounding the centre.

The car parks that will be affected at various times are the multi-storey car park and surface car park to its south, and the Abbey Place car park.

But developers say only limited areas of car parking will be hit at specific times.

The work should help provide further evidence of the importance of the area to the city's historic past.

Archaeological investigations in the 1960s and 1970s before the current Westgate Centre was built revealed evidence of medieval buildings, including the home of the Greyfriars monastic order.

The current investigation will build on this work and explore levels that have never been previously excavated.

The priory was the mother house of the Franciscan order in England.

The order was established in the 13th century and was central to the development of the city.

The Oxford church replaced the line of the city wall at this point and was extended out to a watercourse called the Trill Mill Stream.

Jane McFarland, group development manager for The Westgate Partnership said: " This is an important piece of work which will enable us to discover more about the rich history of the area which is known to date back to Saxon times.

"The work has been carefully scheduled to minimise disruption."

Sharon Cosgrove, strategic director for physical environment for Oxford City Council, said: "We anticipate that the work should only last for a six week period and will take place in phases, so that not all the parking areas will be affected at any one time.

"We would encourage local people to take care when driving near these areas and take note of any temporary signs, changes in traffic flow or moving plant traffic."

In June, the Westgate Partnership submitted a detailed planning application for the new Westgate Centre, which is part redevelopment and extension of the existing centre.

There are plans for a new John Lewis department store, 90 new shops, bars, restaurants and 127 new homes. Westgate Partnership is a joint venture between Capital Shopping Centres and Coal Pension Properties Ltd.

Oxford City Council is currently undertaking its statutory consultation on the proposals.

An additional two phases of archaeology works will take place if The Westgate Partnership receives planning consent for its proposals.