A RESIDENTS’ association has been formed to present a united front ahead of the return of controversial plans for parking permits in East Oxford.

The new Magdalen Road Traders’ and Residents’ Association hopes to reach a consensus on the bid for residents’ permits through a controlled parking zone (CPZ) on the street.

After two years of talks, six public consultations and a £160,000 bill, Oxfordshire County Council last year shelved the plans, which also included Divinity Road.

While some residents welcomed the plan in the hope it would make it easier to find a space, some traders argued it would turn away shoppers.

A new consultation will be launched next month on what parts of the street and Divinity Road should be in the zone, with some hoping it could be in place by the summer.

Newly-elected association chairman Craig Simmons said: “Unsurprisingly one of the main issues discussed at our first meeting was the controlled parking zone .

“It’s a long-running issue. And Magdalen Road is such a long road, with a mix of businesses and residents, it will be hard to all agree.

“But we decided that we needed a group to present a united position. We haven’t had that before.”

The association already has more than 30 members from the 50 businesses and 350 people living on the street.

Mr Simmons said he backed the plan, adding: “It is something we need.

“We’ve got so much traffic, Pegasus Theatre at one end and a lot of businesses. Magdalen Road is a very vibrant place, it is a place where people meet, work, live and shop.

“It is an important part of the East Oxford economy that deserves its own representative body, yet it has never had an active association until now.”

Among its other plans, the association also wants to “rebrand” the street in order to encourage more business into East Oxford. Organisations based in Magdalen Road include the youth theatre, Helen & Douglas House hospice and restaurant OxFork.

Mr Simmons said: “We want to make the street more well-known outside East Oxford.

“It will help promote the businesses here, though since Oxfork joined the street, we’ve had a lot more footfall.

“Then there’s waste collection, street development, noise and drains.

“I know these things sound boring, but they mean a lot to people living here.”