WORK on the £1 million enhancement scheme to Frogmoor in High Wycombe is due to begin after Easter.

The scheme will take about 20 weeks and under the first eight-week phase no traffic, including buses, will be able to use Oxford Street.

Diversions, which are exactly the same as those used in other improvements schemes in the town centre, will be in place and details will be posted round the town.

The work is being done in three phases. The first, taking eight weeks, involves reconstructing Church Street, widening pavements and putting in a new bus stop and two shelters.

The second six-week phase will reconstruct the west side of Frogmoor, remove trees and move the carriagway further east.

The third six-week phase will create a new pedestrian area from the existing open space to the Chiltern Centre, with open air cafes, tree planting and a fountain.

Buckinghamshire county and Wycombe district councillors discussed the bus problem at Wycombe transport strategy panel last Friday.

They came up with a variety of ideas for routes in an attempt to prevent buses being diverted along Abbey Way but were told their options were not workable.

Wycombe district councillor Chris Oliver said: "We can't accept that buses don't go through the town centre. It should be priority."

He proposed that a new route should be found.

Others chipped in with ideas, including changing traffic orders and removing benches, bollards and balls.

It took the chairman of the panel, district councillor Peter Cartwright, the county council's Wycombe area manager Mike Knight, and county council deputy leader Bill Chapple to convince them that there was nowhere that the buses could go.

Cllr Cartwright said the ideas were not practical; some of the routes suggested were now dead ends or were too narrow.

Cllr Chapple said passing resolutions would not open a road or move buses along it. If there had been a way it would have been found.

And Mr Knight said he could not understand where councillors thought the buses could go.

"You won't be able to get through Frogmoor because the whole of Oxford Street is being reconstructed," he said.

Finally Mr Oliver withdrew his proposal but the point was strongly made that there should be posters everywhere so that everyone knew the bus routes had changed and why.

A start date wil be anounced next week but the aim is to get on with the work because Abbey Way is to be resurfaced during the school summer holidays, bringing the likelihood of more traffic problems.