THE county's top councillor will be staying silent over the community stadium.

Cllr David Shakespeare, Leader of Buckinghamshire County Council, will not be following fellow senior Tory Cllr Bob Woollard in declaring his views on the new ground proposals for Wycombe Air Park, Booker.

Ex-BCC Chairman Cllr Woollard spoke out last week, saying it was also a matter of concern for County Hall because of the potentially huge road infrastructure costs that would be required of the authority.

He condemned the plans, which affect his Chiltern Valley ward, and asked WDC Leader Lesley Clarke to 'think long and hard'.

He was backed by another former BCC Chairman Cllr Richard Pushman.

After he had been unreachable to comment directly in person, The Free Press asked BCC if Cllr Shakespeare agrees with Cllr Woollard's claims that there would be huge knock on costs which county bosses can not afford and if he is he against the plan – or whether he would be open to the idea and willing to look at financing the project.

But BCC spokesman Andy Holmes said Cllr Shakespeare had decided not to get involved in the matter and would not be making any comment at this time.

Cllr Shakespeare is also a Wycombe District Councillor, representing Tylers Green and Loudwater.

Wycombe MP Steve Baker has also pledged to stay out of the issue.

He told the Free Press it was not his role as MP to 'escalate matters' and said it went against the Government's Localism policy which aims to decentralise power.

The stadium is a matter for residents and councillors to decide on, he said.