Beaconsfield town council are looking into the possibility of introducing a community bus service into the town.

Creating a ‘Hopper’ bus system that could transport residents between villages outside of the town like Knotty Green and Seer Green as well as the Wilton Park development and the major supermarkets within Beaconsfield, was one of the suggestions in the Vision for Beaconsfield (V4B) town plan.

The recommendations, which were handed to the town council in July, cited the community bus run by Tesco Loudwater between the London Road store and Wooburn Green and Holtspur as a successful example.

Now, councillors are looking at how they could make the scheme work around Beaconsfield using volunteers to drive the buses.

Cllr Anita Cranmer, chair of the community safety committee, said they have a ‘big task ahead’ but introducing a new bus system could even reduce some of the parking problems in the town.

She said: “If we had hopper buses, we could really do a lot of good. This is the beginning and it is such a big task but we had a meeting with Bucks County Council and Community Impact Bucks who are most helpful. They are not going to supply funding but they have got great ideas.

“If the community take this on board, it could really go. Being visionary, it will help parking as well if we have some out of town parking at some point in the future.”

Cllr Richard Keith asked if the scheme would be more like a park and ride, or a cheaper alternative to a normal bus route that connects the residential roads with the old and new town.

Cllr Alastair Pike said: “The notion is that you have this circular route that will encompass the main centres, the new town and the old town.

“Going further out into future, if we can identify a piece of land that looks like a good park and ride location there’s no reason why we can’t encompass, within the framework, an official stop at a park and ride.

“We are talking about residents firstly. What we would do subsequently is talk to business about park and ride and see how we could integrate the two together.”

Councillors are set to hold a stall at the Festival of Lights as well as a presentation on hopper buses in the Town Hall, to give residents more information and gauge interest in the idea.

Cllr Cranmer said: “We will need to know, is there a desire for these hopper buses, where do they want the routes, would people be willing to volunteer because they are, generally speaking, a volunteer situation. Would people be prepared to fundraise?”

Cllr Cranmer said volunteers from the Vision for Beaconsfield group were helping the town council with ideas.

She said: “We’re going to need a lot of volunteer help. They have a large group behind them and we are going to need those volunteers, we are going to need those drivers and we are going to need fundraising and good contacts.

“It’s the very beginning and we have to try and it may go a long way or it may not. We will have to see what the public interest is and if it overwhelming, we are going to have to get going on it.”

What do you think about the idea of a community bus service in Beaconsfield? Leave your comment below or email stephanie.wareham@london.newsquest.co.uk.