A TRAFFIC study of London Road should be carried out before any further development is allowed, a councillor has said after calling in plans for a takeaway outlet.

Cllrs Trevor Snaith believes Buckinghamshire County Council’s traffic modelling of the A40 is “erroneous” and has called for an up-to-date study to be carried out before any new units are allowed to open in the parade.

He has asked Wycombe District Council’s Planning Committee to run the rule over plans for a new takeaway between Therapy Tattoo and Young’s Chinese.

Cllr Snaith said: “London Road is basically a car-park and that area of shops – with the busy retail park junction next to it – is a major blockage in the town, particularly since Tesco opened as traffic movements have increased further.

“You also now have a situation where people are parking in front of the chip shop and other places to walk over to Tesco, and vise-versa.

“BCC’s traffic modelling is basically erroneous and they should have done some new up-to-date research before Tesco was allowed to go ahead.

“This is why we have asked for research to be carried out before anything else goes in there. We’re not picking on any business, this plan has just come along and we think there’s a need to have a look at it and what is safe.”

If BCC were to refuse his request, Cllr Snaith said he would ask WDC after it carried out its own traffic study in Marlow.

The planning application itself is for a change of use from an A1 retail into an A5 takeaway unit with the instillation of an extract duct.

WDC officers have recommended the plan is approved as the loss of the retail unit is mitigated by the opening of Tesco.

They also say the takeaway would attract people to the area “whilst not being harmful to the living environment of neighbouring residential dwellings or highway safety in regards to access and parking.”

The council has received 13 letters of objection – including one signed by 12 residents – on the grounds of additional noise and odour levels, as well as ‘exacerbating the existing traffic problems in the area’.

Transport for Buckinghamshire said in a statement: "This authority’s response regarding this application, took into account both the site and the surrounding highway network. 

"The potential impact of the proposed change of use from retail to takeaway is not based or reliant upon localised modelling or the recent introduction of the Tesco Express, but relates to an appeal that was granted for a similar facility in the area.

"The highway authority is not in a position to object to the type of proposal under this new application when a change of use allowed under Permitted Development rights could bring with it a comparable or greater level of vehicle movements compared with its historical use."