WHILE a lot of the criticism has focused on the clarity of the consultation, the disproportionate impact the policy will have in rural areas has also been a matter of concern.

The council has admitted that parents in urban areas such as Oxford city centre are much less likely to be affected, as much safer walking and cycling routes exist in cities and towns.

However, in more remote parts of the county, school headteachers have raised concerns that pupil numbers will dwindle if parents are charged more than £500 a year for transport.

Burford School headteacher Kathy Haig has previously warned that her school could see its annual intake drop from 200 to 50.

And Dr Annabel Kay, headteacher of The Warriner School in Bloxham, said: “I think they have underestimated the level of response they have got from the community.

“As many as 100 children per year group will no longer receive transport. This is the redrawing of catchment boundaries by stealth.

“This is going to be selection by socio-economic group, if you can afford transport or drive your children to school.

“I would rather they made a decision in our favour. My concern is, because they have had such a large response, will those people respond to a second consultation?”

It comes after cabinet member for finance Arash Fatemian announced he would not support the proposals, because of the impact they would have in his rural Deddington division.

In a letter to campaigners, Mr Fatemian said he would speak at today’s cabinet meeting against the proposal, and said he would have voted against the policy had a vote gone ahead.

He said: “Rest assured that I will be using all of my five minutes to passionately argue against this proposal and will be voting against it.

“I have also discussed the issue and the affects on The Warriner [school] with other cabinet members, including the leader, and will continue to do so until the day of the meeting.”

He said: “I am opposing the proposals as they stand as a local member, not as cabinet member for finance, but I am not opposed to looking at some more well-thought-out proposals in the autumn.”

Mr Fatemian won’t have to use his vote after yesterday’s announcement that a decision will be postponed.