WASPS moving away from Adams Park would be “disastrous” for the whole county, a senior local politician believes.

Bucks County Cllr Paul Rogerson said having the former European Cup-winning rugby club in the county has benefitted schools and the wider community.

Plans for a new community sports village at Booker, which would also have housed a shared stadium for Wasps and Wycombe Wanderers, were thrown out by Wycombe District Council last month – leading to speculation the rugby club could leave town altogether.

Cabinet spokesman for health Cllr Rogerson said facilities at the mooted sports village, which he feels would improve the health of Bucks residents, “can be provided elsewhere”.

But he said: “To lose Wasps would be disastrous in terms of the way they do help the community. They go out and do a lot of outreach work – Lacey Green and Princes Risborough schools in my area [Icknield and Bledlow] have benefitted.

“As rugby players they are very good role models. You get benefits from having a prestigious rugby club in the area and one would hope that wouldn’t be lost. I wouldn’t want anybody to suggest Wasps can go anywhere and it wouldn’t be a loss to the county.”

Referring to the stadium plans Cllr Rogerson added: “The decision’s been made. They had to balance the benefits against the loss of the AONB and it was outweighed.

“What I wouldn’t want to see as a consequence is Wasps’ loss to the community.”

Meanwhile, a piece from BFP sports editor Alan Feldberg outlining why Wasps should stay in High Wycombe has been met with a mixed response from our readers.

More than 100 comments were left on Alan’s article, which questioned why there was a ‘them and us’ mentality between Wanderers and Wasps fans, when it was placed on our website last week.

One reader, ‘Marlow_AP’, wrote: “I am a Wasps supporter but would also like Wanderers to do well. Why do the two have to be mutually exclusive? I just find the anti-Wasps mentality to be really confusing and not constructive in any way.”

But another poster, ‘Mutley’, said: “If Wasps were to leave now it would be seen by many as merely a sulky strop of a move because they didn't get what they wanted.

“It's nice to have Wasps as part of what the town has to offer but Wycombe lasted at least a thousand years before Wasps came and I don't think Wasps are its foundation stone now.”