RESIDENTS have slammed a transport chief’s decision to select a narrow residential road as the preferred route for a bus lane to the ‘Handy Cross Hub’.

Cllr Janet Blake, Bucks County Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning & Transportation, ruled that Daws Lea is the best option for the Daws Hill Area Travel Link, set out in the Southern Quadrant Transport Strategy.

The cost of the project - designed to link the new Wycombe Sports Centre and park-and-ride to Daws Hill Lane - will be upwards of £2.3m.

The estimate does not include land and property costs as a house at the end of Daws Lea would have to be demolished to make way for the link.

The Daws Hill Neighbourhood Forum said not only will residents suffer from the noise, pollution and additional traffic created by the estimated 600 buses using the route every week - but the project was not even needed.

The forum’s Ken Tyson said: “We think this is an appalling and wanton waste of taxpayers’ money at a time of significant austerity.

“We support the revised destination to be the Handy Cross Hub but the bus route along Daws Hill Lane exists already. We want the route to remain along Daws Hill Lane, then up Marlow Hill to the Hub.

“This option will have zero cost and will maintain the bus service for residents on the existing route.

“It will avoid destroying a perfectly sound property and keep the noise and pollution from the buses away from residents already blighted by the M40.”

The other option put forward by BCC was to run a route behind Daws Lea parallel to the M40 – this would cost an estimated £4.7m.

BCC said the scheme would be subject to the usual planning processes and a further public consultation. Cllr Blake visited the site last week.

Mr Tyson said: “I’m astonished these people haven’t talked to DHNF and the residents about such a significant proposal. Daws Lea is a road designated within our Neighbourhood Area.

“Buses will cause jams in a residential road where cars are parked outside people’s own homes.

“It is poor planning and a dreadful waste of public money with little value. Have BCC got their priorities right?”

Bright red anti-bus route signs have been erected on residents’ homes, fences and road signals around the Daws Hill Area in recent days.

For more information and further details about the project, click here.