MORE coffee shops and restaurants would help boost High Wycombe town centre, the district's leader says.

New cafés and eateries would be welcomed by Wycombe District Council Leader Cllr Richard Scott, as part of ongoing work to regenerate the town.

Improving areas such as Frogmoor and White Hart Street are a key focus, he said.

He said: “We've been working very hard, particularly on the town centre.

“We need to find other things to bring in, it may be restaurants to attract more people back to the area.”

He said High Wycombe has a great theatre with The Swan and believes adding a few more restaurant operators will increase the incentive for visitors to come.

He said: “Wycombe has its fair share (of restaurants) and there's nothing wrong with what we’ve got it's just that I think we can add more. The night economy is quite vibrant but the last thing it needs, probably, is a wider range of activities.”

Although there are also already a number of coffee shops, he believes there is room for more.

He said: “You just look at the coffee shops in town, you'll see most of them are pretty busy, so we'd welcome some more here, it brings people in to the town centre and keeps them here as well.

“It's become a way of life now to have a coffee.”

He acknowledged the amount of hot drink sellers already in the town but said: “It's down to supply and demand. If people don't want it, coffee shops won't survive. It's a very competitive market out there.”