"Weekend cafe culture and alfresco dining" is coming to High Wycombe amid exciting plans for part-time road closures to help town centre businesses get back on their feet.

From April 12 until September 30, part-time road restrictions are in place in the High Street and Pauls Row to support businesses through a crucial period of reopening as lockdown restrictions ease.

The pedestrianisation will hopefully encourage more people to visit, while also making it safer for shoppers.

As of April 12, the High Street is going to be closed to all traffic every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 2.30pm - coinciding with the town's market days and a string of upcoming town centre public events to be organised by HWBIDCo.

Pauls Row is also set to become High Wycombe’s own "bastion of weekend café culture and alfresco dining" with the main through road closed every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from 4pm to 9.30pm.

As the location for many town centre eateries including Noodle Nation, Bluegrass BBQ, O’Neill’s and Trilogy Nightclub, a halt to the continual traffic passing through this area will allow each restaurant to expand beyond their doors.

HWBIDCo also has exciting plans to add musical performances and entertainment to the ‘outdoor dining arena’, which they say will bring a "continental atmosphere to the centre of High Wycombe".

The restaurants in Pauls Row will be opening their outdoor dining area on a staggered basis from mid-April, with an official launch being planned for once all the openings are complete.

Kwong Lin, owner of Noodle Nation, and Pauls Row ‘business resident’ for over 20 years, praised the idea.

He said: “The road closures for Pauls Row are such a significant development for all the businesses here, and it’s going to be incredibly beneficial for all the bars and restaurants, especially as we try to rebuild trade.

"There is a constant stream of traffic through this area, making relaxed outdoor dining impossible previously, but now we can take full advantage of Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and expand outdoors.

"With added live music and entertainment, we’re excited to start building an amazing atmosphere for all our diners and make Pauls Row a destination venue in the region.”

The road closures have been allowed by Buckinghamshire Council in a bid to boost the town centre after a tough year for businesses.

Chief executive of HWBIDCo – the town centre team, Melanie Williams, said: “We’re ecstatic to have been granted these road closures by Buckinghamshire Council - they’re going to make a huge difference to the town centre retailers, but in particular it will transform the market, making it a safe and welcoming environment.

"It’s a welcome development for our schedule of summer events too – there’s lots planned and the road closures will mean there’s many opportunities for extra entertainment."