More parking, improved footpaths and a town park have already been suggested to a recently launched community group, who hope to map out the future of Beaconsfield.

Residents from the town have joined together to form the Vision for Beaconsfield (V4B) Steering Group with the aim of creating a new town plan ahead of the election in May.

The group have been keen to seek the views of children who live or go to school in the town ahead of shaping a plan which could impact the area over the next 10 years.

All involved in V4B were busy campaigning during the Beaconsfield Festival of Lights last Wednesday, December 10, when they officially launched their community consultation.

The chairman of the group, Douglas Butterfield, says they have had a good response from the public so far and a number of suggestions have already been made.

He said: “I spoke to dozens of people on the street, handing out flyers and asking for responses through the website survey.

“A good proportion had heard about it and wanted to stop and talk about the vision. Many had heard about it through school - others through the press or by email.

“I spoke to people of all ages - young people, young parents, professional commuters, sports club members, residents concerned about the proposed by-pass, church members, elderly people - all of them wanted to say something and thought the survey was a good idea”.

He added: “Some have already visited the Vision for Beaconsfield website, and completed the online survey you can find there.

“Some of the responses already received include proposals for a town park, improved footpaths for pedestrians, better cheaper parking and more of it, and more creative retail opportunities for independent businesses and chains, not to mention a town by-pass from the M25 to the Amersham Road.”

On the evening, a suggestion box was left in the Town Hall and youngsters were invited to post their “three wishes” for the future of Beaconsfield.

Butler’s Court School pupil Maddie Godsell-Tagg was one of the first to post her thoughts and the group have said other boxes can be found in the town’s primary schools.

The Steering Group will use the results of the survey to tease out the main issues that concern Beaconsfield’s residents and workers they say, and build working groups around the emerging themes, to investigate options in more depth.

To fill-in a survey or to find out more information, please visit www.visionforbeaconsfield.uk and paper copies can also be requested from the Town Hall.