RESIDENTS of Beaconsfield may have the opportunity to vote for two new town councillors after it was agreed a by-election would be held.

Following the resignation of two Independent Town Councillors, Beaconsfield has vacancies in the South and West wards and a by-election has now been requested.

This comes after the leader of the council warned a new election would be costly and potentially detrimental to the progress of other community-based projects.

Nominations for new councillors should be provided to South Bucks District Council by Friday, July 18.

If more than one nomination for each ward is received a by-election will be held and residents will have the chance to cast their votes on Thursday, August 14.

However, with only 10 months to go until the next local elections are held, Cllr Alan Walters has said he believed it is an expense which should have been avoided.

He said: “I predict that these elections will cost between £4000 and £5000 per ward. That could be a cost of £10,000 for the council to pay – that is about £1000 every month.

“My concern is where are we going to get this money from? We will either have to take it out of reserves or we will have to rethink some of the community projects we are hoping to push on with.

“Even if we only get one person step forward for each ward it will still cost us money.

“It is a shame because had we got through to November it would have been impossible to hold a by-election because we would be so close to May.”

Nomination papers should be obtained from and returned to the Returning Officer, Capswood, Oxford Road, Denham, Uxbridge, UB9 4LH.

If an election is contested there will be a polling station in each ward.

For more information please visit www.southbucks.gov.uk