A COUNCILLOR has accused Buckinghamshire County Council of handing round a "begging bowl' to fund a transport survey.

The proposed survey for Beaconsfield would be designed to find solutions to the current traffic problems in the town and to predict the effects any future traffic schemes may have.

Buckinghamshire County Council had predicted that the total cost could be up to £80,000 and had asked for a £40,000 contribution towards the scheme from South Bucks District Council.

This was refused at a meeting of the district council's planning and transportation committee last Wednesday where it was decided that the district council needed to support transport initiatives across the whole district and not just in Beaconsfield.

Beaconsfield town and district councillor Graham Smith (Con, Beaconsfield North) has been campaigning for a survey.

He said he had mixed feelings that South Bucks District Council had refused the county council request for extra funds to fund the project.

He added: "I really do want the traffic survey but this is a county council responsibility.

"They have no right to ask the district council or any other authority to fund what they consider an essential survey. They should find the money to fund this.

"It sets a dangerous precedent for them to hand round a begging bowl to support their own banquet."

A spokesman from the county council said: "We wanted to copy the successful traffic survey that was carried out in Marlow and give the local authorities some ownership of the project as it is in their area."