COUNCILLORS have opted to spend £16,000 on ten speed bumps for Beaconsfield – but the sleeping policemen will remain in storage until residents have been consulted.

The bumps are likely to be installed in Holtspur Top Lane, where residents have long called for increased safety measures.

But they will have to be stored until a formal consultation is completed, Beaconsfield Town Council heard last week.

The decision to go ahead with the purchase followed a warning from county councillor Adrian Busby that any delay could lead to the funding being lost.

Bucks County Council allocates funds for transport projects to local bodies, but these must be spent within a time limit.

Councillors previously considered building a chicane, but this was unpopular with residents. They also looked at installing ‘inflatable’ bumps, which deflate if the driver is within the legal limit, but this was rejected by transport chiefs.

Cllr Busby said Holtspur Top Lane would need to be resurfaced before the five sets of bumps are installed, adding this was his 'top priority' for the year.

But the bumps could be sold back to the county’s transport department if the public were not in favour of the plan, he said.