GREAT Marlow Parish Council met for the final time in Bovingdon Green on Thursday night, ahead of the parish splitting on April 1.

Chairman Malcolm Blanksby said it was "a sad occasion in many ways" but added that it had been an "amicable split".

The council has been serving residents in Great Marlow and Marlow Bottom for 110 years and meets alternate months in Bovingdon Green and Marlow Bottom, but it now feels the parish has grown too large for the council to be truly representative.

Cllr Alan Barnard said: "When Great Marlow Parish was first set up over 100 years ago there were only a few farms and a handful of weekend cottages in Marlow Bottom.

"Now there are 2,600 electors and it is a large village in its own right, with a very strong sense of identity."

Two and a half years ago councillors voted unanimously to split the ward geographically by popular demand.

The council finally received approval for the split from the Secretary of State at the beginning of February.

Cllr Blanksby said it would mean a slight increase in this year's precept to cover the initial set up costs but the advantage to residents was "almost limitless".

Last year's single parish precept was £26,010 but from April 1 Marlow Bottom's precept will be £28,750 and Great Marlow's will be £12,500.

Cllr Blanksby said: "I am a great traditionalist and I would have preferred to stay with one parish council but the two communities are so different we would not be able to address their needs effectively."

He cited street lighting as an example of their differences. Street lighting is the parish council's most expensive outgoing. Most streets in Marlow Bottom have street lights, compared with relatively few throughout Great Marlow.

Cllr Blanksby said in places like Bovingdon Green the cost of laying cables for street lighting would be prohibitively expensive. Great Marlow residents have therefore been paying for a service they predominantly do not use.

The full parish council meets for the last time in Marlow Bottom on March 22.