Anger at "misguided Tories" who criticised town's one way system

12:37pm Wednesday 1st September 2010

By Rebecca Cain

FURIOUS councillors have slammed two Tories, accusing them of undermining a town council after sending out a leaflet which said Princes Risborough “town centre is dying.”

Wycombe District Councillor Bill Bendyshe-Brown and Buckinghamshire County Councillor Carl Etholen, who are both also Princes Risborough town councillors, sent a Conservative leaflet to residents which included criticism about the town's one way system.

At last night's Princes Risborough Town Council's meeting chairman Alan Turner said he would like to know what the leaders of Buckinghamshire County Council and Wycombe District Council think of their “representatives absolutely undermining this town council.”

He said: “I find this utterly incredible when we have been working so hard to regenerate this town centre. We have done so much work.”

He added: “We don't need people saying this town is rubbish. We don't need that.”

The leaflet describes what work Cllr Bendyshe-Brown, who is also chairman of WDC, and Cllr Etholen have done in the town.

Under a section called “One Way System- Have Your Say” they encourage people to register their opinion about the system introduced in November and say they object to it after “many complaints from local businesses and residents.”

It says: “The town shopping centre is now dying with at least five shops closing, some attributing it to lost passing trade.”

The £60,000 trial system runs from the Duke Street Roundabout, through the High Street and into Horns Lane and will be reviewed in November. (See links below)

As reported previously Cllr Bendyshe-Brown and Carl Etholen voted through having the one way system but changed their minds in January calling for it to be scrapped.

Town councillor and Conservative Wycombe District Councillor Dennis Green said he had nothing to do with it even though his name and picture were also on the leaflet.

Cllr Green said: “I was never approached by Bill or Carl to be to put anything into this at all which I find disgusting.

Cllr Etholen said: “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It is a democratic society that we live in. I was in favour of a one way system as was Bill Bendyshe-Brown. We have been approached by a number of traders and residents who have said the one way system does not work and we have seen that. We are entitled to say if it is not working.”

Councillor Will Streule said: “This council is apolitical- really we should be ignoring it.” He added: “It is just two misguided Tories.”

Cllr Bendyshe-Brown, who was not at the meeting, told the Bucks Free Press that the leaflet had “nothing to do with the town council.”

He added: “I just don't understand where they are coming from. It is a political pamphlet from the local Conservatives.”