Hospital trust bosses have reassured patients that a new £109m cancer centre in Oxford will open by the end of the year, despite a planning row over two footpaths.

The public footpaths were affected by the construction of the new centre at the Churchill Hospital in Headington, which was expected to open by the end of the September.

Efforts to divert the footpaths have been caught up in a planning wrangle, after the council received an objection to the diversion scheme.

As a result, county councillors agreed on Monday that they should refer the matter to Environment Secretary Hilary Benn to resolve the issue.

It means the whole project cannot be signed off by the council until the issue is settled.

The footpaths needed to be diverted following construction work on a car park.

The proposed diversion would re-route the footpaths from their current line through the site.

Oliver Francis, a spokesman for Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We would like to reassure patients that the cancer centre will open as planned this year.

"We are looking forward to moving into our new first-class facilities which will benefit patients from Oxfordshire and beyond."

In January, county councillors agreed to fast-track an application to divert the two footpaths so that the cancer centre could open on time, but they were unable to find a resolution.

There were further difficulties after developers built a wall over part of the proposed new route - meaning the paths had to be diverted again.

The 217-bed centre will include an intensive care unit, 10 operating theatres, and diagnostic and treatment equipment.

A £2m fundraising campaign is under way to buy equipment.

Jacquie Pearce-Gervis, a spokesman for Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Patient Focus Group, said: "Staff are expecting to move into the building in November with the centre open before Christmas.

"It would be terribly sad for patients if delays are caused by red tape.