A PROPOSED parish poll on the favoured new stadium site for Wasps and Wycombe Wanderers was postponed last night.

Worried residents were set to invoke a referendum at Great Marlow Parish Council but concerns were raised over its timing with Christmas just around the corner.

The Wycombe Air Park site, located in Great Marlow, has fuelled fears regarding the potential impact on traffic, the environment and the gliding club.

But Cllr Janet Pritchard confirmed that, just hours before the meeting was due to take place, she was contacted by a group of residents temporarily calling off the action.

“They are a bit concerned, once we call a referendum we have four weeks [for it to take place],” said Cllr Pritchard.

“With Christmas and the organisation behind it, it really was not a good time to be calling it now.”

At least ten residents are needed to trigger the poll and they now plan to attend the next parish meeting on January 27.

Cllr Pritchard – who is also a member of anti-stadium coalition GASP - added: “They will then feel a little bit more organised themselves to carry the referendum through.”

But this will come after Wycombe District Council’s Special Cabinet Meeting on January 17.

Before the meeting, Cllr Pritchard had previously urged all neighbouring parish councils to undertake polls in a bid to boost “people power”.

Although the district council is under a statutory duty to run the polls – paid for by parish councils - the result is not legally binding.