Bid to give town its own council is rejected

A bid for a town to have its own council has been rejected over concerns of the cost to taxpayers.

Wycombe will now remain one of the few areas of Buckinghamshire without a town council but will continue to be represented by a committee and community board.

Town or parish councils are responsible for services such as allotments, bus shelters and play areas, and can issue fixed penalty fines for litter, graffiti and dog offences.

Conservative David Goss, chair of the Standards and General Purposes Committee on Buckinghamshire Council, said: "There would have been a cost of approximately £200 extra a year on people's council tax and we didn't want to put that extra cost on people."

Independent Stuart Wilson, who supported the plans, said: "It has always been the intention that Wycombe shouldn't have a town council because there is a fear that Labour would end up in control of it."

In April 2020, a new unitary council was created in Buckinghamshire, meaning the previous district council that served Wycombe was replaced.

It means some decisions on local issues in Wycombe are made by the unitary authority instead.

A campaign by Wycombe residents, councillors and former mayors argued that those decisions should be made in the town - an idea supported by the newly elected Labour MP for Wycombe Emma Reynolds.

However, although more than 60% of residents who took part in a £35,000 public consultation said they wanted a town council, less than 5% of its 55,000 population actually responded to the survey.

Plus, less than 2% revealed they were prepared to meet the costs of it.

Buckinghamshire Council voted to commission a review of the remit and operating arrangements of the High Wycombe Town Committee to ensure it was in a better position to respond to local issues.

It also agreed to look at feedback received from residents about the need for public realm improvements in the town centre.

Councillor Goss added: "We want to make sure the current town committee is fully equipped to deal with the challenges that are facing the High Wycombe area."

There was no right of appeal to the decision - with a further referendum on the subject not now allowed for another two years.

Councillor Wilson said: "There are restrictions in terms of legislation, in terms of being able to raise another petition."

However he suggested the issue may come up in the next May's local council elections, as "an opportunity for residents of Wycombe to express their point of view".

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