A COMPREHENSIVE traffic survey could mean wholesale changes to transport and parking in Beaconsfield.

The decision by Buckinghamshire County Council to go ahead with the survey, which will cost more than £80,000, has provoked an enthusiastic response from town councillors and campaigners.

The survey is a complete assessment of all transport, road and parking matters in Beaconsfield, which will lead to recommendations being made as to how the situation can be improved.

Graham Smith (Con, North Ward), Chairman of Beaconsfield Town Council planning committee, congratulated Buckinghamshire county councillor Rodney Royston on the announcement.

He added: "When the survey is conducted in autumn 2001 it will put to an end the speculation over the A355 diversion and the threat to the green belt.

"I'm hoping the results of the survey will put an end to the ad-hoc traffic calming measures that have been causing disruption in the town."

The town council has been pushing for a survey for ten years.

Mayor of Beaconsfield Malcolm Dunlop said he was delighted with the outcome and on behalf of Beaconsfield Town Council, he thanked county councillor Margaret Dewar for all her hard work in getting such a positive result.

He said: "We are absolutely thrilled and the whole town will be delighted. We do not really know what the traffic conditions in the town really are and at the moment we are working on anecdotal evidence so until we know the results of the survey we can only hope that there are ways of improving the traffic situation in Beaconsfield."

A spokesman for the county council said talks were still taking place between the county council and other local authorities, but confirmed the survey would definitely be going ahead.

Rodney Royston, council cabinet member for planning and transportation said: "We are well aware this survey has been long awaited. It is important to tie up this survey with the HGV survey for Chiltern and South Bucks because we need to understand the heavy traffic flow in this area despite the fact that there are no major urban focal points."