A SENIOR Tory among the most outspoken critics against the community stadium says his party's election of Alex Collingwood as Wycombe District Council Leader is “brilliant”.

Former Chairman of Buckinghamshire County Council, Cllr Bob Woollard has lambasted the plans for Wycombe Air Park, Booker, Great Marlow.

He believes cash-strapped BCC would have to fork out millions improving road access, while also saying the intrusion into Green Belt land would be unacceptable.

He set up a committee to monitor the latest developments on the air park scheme, which would provide a new ground for London Wasps and Wycombe Wanderers.

The site falls within the Chiltern Valley ward of Conservative Cllr Woollard, who urged outgoing Leader Cllr Lesley Clarke to “think long and hard” back in January.

Now, Marlow's Cllr Collingwood, who rose to prominence with his scrutiny committee's damning assessment of the plans, is set to lead the way forward on the controversial project.

Councillor Woollard said: “I think it's a brilliant result, Alex is very able and hard working. From what I understand he did a very good job at the scrutiny committee.

“I've known Alex for some years, his parents also, and I think he'll make a very good leader of WDC.

“I think it's a very positive move forward, a new broom sweeps clean. I'm 100 per cent backing him.

“He's a Marlow man which is another thing. He understands we can't always have urban solutions to rural problems.”

He said: “Certain things you have to look at and see what the public want and they clearly don't want the stadium.

“I haven't spoken to one person yet who is in favour of it.”

He said the deputies, Cllrs Arif Hussain and David Carroll were “excellent appointments”.

Cllr Jean Teesdale declared she would continue fighting the stadium when she was re-elected.

She said, while it was too early to say what it will mean for the scheme:“I'm very pleased he's become leader I think he's just what we're looking for, a young man, and will be a breath of fresh air.”