TWO major projects to transform the centre of Oxford are about to begin.

Work on the long-awaited scheme to improve Oxford’s iconic High Street starts on June 22. And it will be quickly followed by work to upgrade Queen Street, in the first phase of a plan to eventually pedestrianise the congested shopping street.

The £3m High Street improvements could result in months of disruption for bus-users and traders, with work expected to continue until next April.

The start of work in Queen Street on July 19 will signal the start of Oxfordshire County Council’s Transform Oxford scheme, which will see the pedestrianisation of most of the city centre over the next five years.

County Hall has defended the decision to allow both schemes to get under way at the same time and is in talks with bus companies to minimise the disruption.

County council head of transport, Steve Howell, said: “There will obviously be some disruption, especially to bus-users. We believe that Queen Street and High Street work can happen at the same time. It must be remembered that neither of these routes is open to general traffic anyway.”

But the plans for the High have been condemned as “a wasted opportunity” by traders, who accused Oxfordshire County Council of ignoring their views. They claim the city centre is facing almost a year of disruption for a scheme that amounted to little more than repairing road damage caused by the weight of 2,500 buses a day.

High Street traders and colleges had called for work to be suspended to allow a more ambitious scheme to be developed, creating wider pavements with quality stone.

The resurfacing work will take place between Turl Street and Longwall Street, with a pause from the end of November to the New Year to help traders over Christmas.

The work will result in the closures of roads such as Queen’s Lane, Merton Street and King Edward Street at various times. But the council says the work should be completed without bus services having to be diverted.

County Hall say that as well as resurfacing the road, it will “declutter” a large section of the historic street, with unnecessary signage and white lines removed.

Mr Howell added: “We will also be making some targeted alterations to benefit pedestrians and cyclists. It will mean that no further work will be required on the route for 20 years or more.”

But Jeremy Mogford, chairman of the High Street Association, said: “We are bitterly disappointed that the council has not taken on board any of our suggestions. This is just a resurfacing job with a bit of decluttering as window dressing.

“We wanted to see the job done properly with new paving stones.

“The great opportunity for the High Street, to make the most of the street’s wonderful curve with wider pavements, is being pushed aside.

“This work will nevertheless have a major impact on businesses, bringing heavy congestion.”

Traders and colleges had commissioned their own report by urban designer Alan Baxter Associates, which said the council’s plans would transform the city’s historic spine into “a mediocre” public space, wasting a one-off chance to deliver what “this nationally significant street so desperately needs”.

Work on the £985,000 Queen Street scheme will go on until September, with bus stops removed, pavements widened and extensive resurfacing done.

New bus stops will relocate from July 19 to St Aldate’s, Castle Street and New Road.

A council spokesman said: “The council will be contacting major employers and schools asking them to warn people about the changes.” Council staff will be on hand in the early days of the changeover to point people to the new bus stops.

The council says the first phase of the work on the High will be the section furthest away from Queen Street to minimise disruption.

Queen Street will not be fully pedestrianised until 2011 at the earliest. The county council is also proposing to pedestrianise George Street and Magdalen Street next year, with improvements to Broad Street to quickly follow.

Frideswide Square should be redesigned in 2011.