IT is the time of the year when people get merry, meet half-forgotten relatives and munch on mince pies.

But there is a serious side to Christmas for many people – which is to say that it is in many ways about the bottom line.

For the businesses of Oxford, plans to dramatically expand the city’s Christmas market will be music to their ears.

Anything that brings in more people spending more money and soaking up the sights of the city can seemingly only help.

Of course, the bleak talk of the credit crunch and triple-dip recessions is on the wane nowadays.

But only a fool would pretend that times for many traders are not still tough.

What the city needs is well-thought-out schemes such as this appears to be that boost business and bring life to our streets.

As the old saying puts it, the devil is in the detail – but from what we know, this market plan has to be welcomed.

Expectations of a tripling in the number of people who attended last year’s event – up from 35,000 to an anticipated 100,000 – demonstrate the ambitions behind this project.

We need to know more about what impact it will have on traffic and what the three-day closure of St Giles will mean for those who live and work there.

We also need to insist that local taxpayers get value for money.

But many towns and cities celebrate the festive season almost out of reluctant necessity. This plan could well be a Christmas cracker.