HUNDREDS of protesters marched through High Wycombe today with a clear message for council bosses – “say no to the stadium”.

Campaigners turned out in their droves to make their voices heard ahead of Monday’s key decision on the scheme by Wycombe District Council chiefs.

The White Elephant March, organised by the Groups Against Stadium Proposals, kicked off at The Rye at 2.30pm and snaked up to the council’s offices for a five-minute demonstration.

Shoppers and town centre workers stopped and watched as a sea of chanting protesters waving anti-stadium placards flooded the High Street and then Frogmoor.

GASP chairman Gary Nuttal told the gathered crowd: “Apparently, GASP, and all the community groups and parish councils, we’re just the silent minority.

“Yet you can see today, despite the weather, just how big a minority we are. We’re actually the majority, the silent majority.

“The key points - say no to the Green Belt, say no to stadium proposals, keep Booker green – these are the important things to all of us.

“But there’s one short message that is really simple for the Cabinet meeting on Monday evening, which is when they come to make their decision, what do we want them to say in one word?”

A resounding “no” was the scream from a packed Frogmoor square.

GASP also poked fun at the council’s widely-criticised public consultation into the controversial stadium proposals by presenting ‘Micky Mouse’ on the stage.

“Micky Mouse actually filled out one of the forms. What’s interesting is the council counted him,” said GASP’s Keith Francis, to howls of laughter.

He continued: “We spoke to Micky and said he has got to come [on the march], because he really is against the stadium.”

The council’s Cabinet meets on Monday night to decide how to progress with the stadium project further – or to scrap it altogether.

Bucks Free Press: Stadium: WSDL reveals sports village plans

Sources told the Free Press on Thursday there was a strong lobby group pressing to ditch the scheme during a meeting of the Wycombe Conservatives.

But Tory leader of WDC Cllr Alex Collingwood insisted all four options as set out in the Cabinet document were still open and a decision would be made following a debate in full view of the public on Monday night.

He said: “All political parties have informed group discussion forums and debates on a wide range of issues.

"However, they have no formal decision making powers within the council.

"The decisions are made by the Cabinet noted at full council, and the stadium proposal decision will be made by Cabinet after a full debate in public on Monday evening.”

Wycombe MP Steve Baker tweeted: "Very good! Democratic participation will be vital if Localism is not to be a disaster."

Wycombe Sports Developments Ltd wants to build a 17,500 capacity stadium and sports village at Wycombe Air Park in Booker.

An ‘enabling development’ of 506 homes, a three-to-four star hotel and other commercial facilities would also be built on the £51m site.

Steve Hayes, owner of Wycombe Wanderers and London Wasps, said the project would ‘leave a lasting legacy’ for south Buckinghamshire.

See the links below for more stories on the stadium saga.