In their letters to the BFP (March 14 and 21) about whether High Wycombe should have a town council or continue with the existing system of a High Wycombe Town Committee, both Cllr Gary Hall and Cllr Darren Hayday draw entirely the wrong conclusion. They say the Conservative District Council maintains this model of governance as an underhand method of controlling the town, although it has at present only nine councillors out of 23 in the town wards.

They imply the cabinet interferes in the democratic process so the recommendations of the town committee are vetoed by it.

In all my 19 years as a member of the High Wycombe Town Committee, I have only known one occasion when a recommendation from HWTC was amended. The High Wycombe Town Committee oversees all the functions of a town council at a far lower cost than a town council.

Residents can lobby their district councillor on any matter and proposals and changes can be developed just as in a town council. The HWTC can do exactly what a town coun cil can do reflect the views of residents – the decision making is higher up the local government chain. In fact, this week we met to consider the implications of the National Planning Policy Framework on the town wards of High Wycombe.

There are no negatives to the town committee model but huge positives. The town committee does not require separate offices or officers, so expense is lower.

In the year 2014/2015 the Band D taxpayer will be charged as follows to pay for their town councils: Princes Risborough Town Council: £95.21; Aylesbury Town Council: £51.81; Marlow Town Council: £42.93; High Wycombe Town Committee: £17.80.

Might I respectfully suggest you amend the caption over Cllr Hayday’s letter from ‘Having a town council would be positive’ to ‘Having a town council would be positively more expensive’. — Cllr Roger Colomb, Independent (Real Conservative), Terriers and Amersham Hill Ward, Wycombe District Council