A “nuisance” area of High Wycombe could look like the Market Square in Henley with baskets of flowers and “continental-style” restaurants if the town had its own council, a former mayor has claimed.

Cllr Brian Pearce, who was High Wycombe mayor in 2017/18, says the High Street and Frogmoor – which has suffered with anti-social behaviour – could be vastly improved if a town council was created to look after it.

Cllr Pearce, who represents Booker and Cressex at Wycombe District Council, said the pride needs to be “put back in High Wycombe” – which a town council could help do.

He told the Bucks Free Press: “When I was mayor elect, I wanted to act as a catalyst to help improve the High Street and Frogmoor.

“I now realise that this was out of the mayor’s remit but if we had a town council, I believe that these improvements could happen.”

His comments come days after a Bucks Free Press-backed petition calling on Wycombe District Council to consider creating a town council for the town reached the required 4,000 signatures.

Cllr Pearce said: “Whilst collecting signatures for our petition at Morrisons Superstore, I was absolutely astounded on two counts.

“Quite a large number of people did not realise that we don’t actually have a town council in High Wycombe and the number of people that stated that they don’t live in High Wycombe – ‘Thank goodness, because it’s now a dump’.

“The latter statement hurt tremendously; I personally believe that if we had a town council, Frogmoor would look more like Market Square in Henley with large baskets of flowers and continental style eating establishments and once again it would be a superb meeting place.”

He criticised the current High Wycombe town committee, saying it is “merely a talking shop with no teeth”.

And addressing some concerns about the cost a new town council may incur, Cllr Pearce added: “Critics of High Wycombe having a town council say that it will cost a vast sum of money.

“Of course, there will be a cost involved but I don’t believe that it will be overly so.

“Democracy costs money but what ultimately matters is value for money and I firmly believe that a town council would generate more money that it would cost.

“Every town in Bucks and most towns in Britain have a town council. Let’s put the pride back into Wycombe.”