OUTDOOR orchestral concerts and cups of coffee could find their way on to Chesham High Street if plans to erect a canopy around the town's clock tower go-ahead.

The Chesham Society wants to create the canopy around Chesham's clock tower in the Market Place, to enhance the town centre and create new attractions for shoppers to the town.

And at a meeting of the town council's planning and general purposes committee on Tuesday, the society won councillors' approval for the proposed £100,000 scheme in principle.

The proposed canopy, which would be supported by a wrought-iron structure, would surround the clock tower and provide a public space for attractions such as antiques fairs, caf seating and even musical performances in the summer months.

The completed structure would be built to last a minimum of 20 years and it would become the responsibility of Chesham Town Council.

David Carter, chairman of The Chesham Society, added: "I thought it would be very nice to have a string quartet on a summer's evening."

The Chesham Society, which is a registered charity, has drawn up an action plan to create the canopy.

This plan includes the raising of funds for the project, approval from The Charity Commission for the society to raise funds and discussions with Buckinghamshire County Council which owns the land surrounding the clock tower.

Cllr Alan Bacon (Lib Dem) said he thought the scheme was a good idea.

He added: "The area in question needs this project to fill what really is a very empty space. I think this is somewhere which should be more valued."