NEGOTIATIONS to run Oxford’s park and rides broke down as the city council tried to at least double its rental income, it has emerged.

Oxford City Council took back the three park and ride sites it owns – Redbridge, Pear Tree and Seacourt – in October from Oxfordshire County Council, which had been running them since 2008.

The county paid the city £250,000 a year and then spent another £750,000 in costs running them, without charging motorists to park. Previously, under city control, the three sites had charged motorists.

However in August, a joint statement said the county could no longer afford to operate them.

It still runs the Thornhill and Water Eaton sites.

Now it has emerged that during the negotiations, the city council had demanded the county pay it either £500,000 or £600,000.

Deputy city council leader Ed Turner said the increase was based on a belief the county council was going to start charging motorists.

However Ian Hudspeth, who led the county’s negotiations, said its intention was to keep free parking. The city’s demand would have meant charging at all five park and rides.

It was to protect free parking at Thornhill and Water Eaton that it handed back the three within the city boundaries, he said. He conceded it might have had to start charging because of the squeeze on its finances.

He added: “We would have tried to find a situation where there was no charge at all. They (the city council) have given the impression that we couldn’t afford to run them.

“We couldn’t afford to run them at the amount of money they were demanding. We have been made out to be the bad guys.”

Mr Turner pointed to an Oxford Mail report last December where county leader Keith Mitchell said charges were likely.

He said the city wanted the sites to remain with the county, with a “modest” charge of about £1 a day.

He said: “The city council had made it clear that, if charging were to occur on our sites, we would expect a share of the proceeds, as the previous agreement contained a condition that parking would remain free.

“The county agreed to this in principle and an informal agreement was reached on this basis. The county council then unexpectedly changed its mind in July this year.”

Subsequently the city council has started charging motorists £1.50 a day, which initial figures indicate are likely to deliver a surplus of £80,000.

Mr Hudspeth said the situation was not helped by the city council formally serving notice in September last year it wanted the sites back before negotiations started.

Mr Turner said this was only a fallback in case negotiations broke down because 12 months’ notice was required.

City commuter Mia Ball, who organised a petition against the £1.50 fees, believed the city council always had the intention of taking its three sites back.

She said: “The city council saw the car parks as a cash cow. They had made a mess of the finances elsewhere and it was an easy and cheap way for them to make up financial losses.”

Mr Turner denied this.