Councillors in Gerrards Cross have voted in favour of scrapping their parish council title in favour of town status in the hope of having ‘more clout’ like neighbouring Beaconsfield.

Seven parish councillors voted in favour of becoming a town council at Monday’s full council meeting and a letter explaining the move will be sent out to residents before the official date of the change, January 1, 2016.

Councillors previously debated the issue last year, with four councillors voting against the proposal and three voting for the change in September 2014.

While changing the name from parish to town will bring no change in powers or duties, chairman Chris Brown believes becoming a town will better reflect the changing face of the village.

He said: “My understanding is that it doesn’t affect our standing, it is just a name. I think it’s a good thing because it gives us more status and more clout and it will reflect more accurately what we are.

“Comparing ourselves with Beaconsfield, they get their own local area forum all to themselves. We have to share it with four other places.

“The village we used to live in has expanded considerably and continues to do so. It makes sense.”

The move was supported by seven out of eight councillors present at the meeting.

Cllr Mike Lawson said: “If you look at the definition of a town, we fit that definition for population and amenities - we have four supermarkets now. We are not exactly a tiny little place. There are many towns in the county that have smaller populations than we have.

“There is confusion between parish church and parish council and I think from that point of view we are better off as a town. From what I understand there is no major difference, it just says exactly what we are.”

Cllr Martin Baker believes the change will better reflect the ‘social, educational and economic hub’ that the village has become.

He said: “We are a hub for a lot of little places around us. Transferring to a town eliminates the perception that we are church driven when we are not.”

However Cllr Peter Grimes refused to vote in favour of the move, arguing that residents would not support the change.

He said: “Having asked residents when this idea was live last time, I do know that the majority do not want to become a town. The population generally do not want to become a town.

“I know they don’t want it so I am not going to vote in favour of it. I have asked numerous people around the common on a Saturday or Sunday and they just do not want it. They like the connotation of a village and they want to be known as a village.

“I know for absolute certainty most of the people I have spoken to do not want it. The vast majority moved here because they wanted to be in a village.”

What do you think about the new town status? Leave your comments below or email stephanie.wareham@london.newsquest.co.uk.