Campaign launched to save Chesham High Street

A campaign has been launched to save Chesham High Street amid plans to scrap pedestrianisation in the town centre.

Business owners and councillors in Chesham are calling on Buckinghamshire Council to scrap a raft of experimental traffic orders introduced in the town.

The measures being tested affect parts of The Broadway, Church Street, Market Square and the High Street.

The council says the orders were brought in to improve safety, help traffic move more smoothly, and still allow access for deliveries and traders.

However, businesses have told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the changes are already having a negative impact.

Alex Morgan, who runs Trekkers Bar on the High Street, said the experimental orders have forced him to cancel six events.

He said: “Suddenly you are going from being able to put events on to paying a minimum £1,500 for the closure before you have even started any events spend.

“Which means basically none of the events can happen. Bucks’ council say they have grandfathered some preexisting events. But that implies that they are also aware nobody’s going to be able to do an event unless they are permitted.”

He criticised the council, saying the orders should have been introduced following consultation with businesses.

A petition has now been launched by the Chesham and Amersham Liberal Democrats to “save our High Street”, calling on the council to scrap the plans.

The group has warned that if the orders are made permanent, they could kill off town-centre events.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Alan Bacon, a Buckinghamshire and Chesham town councillor, said the petition was intended to make the public aware of the risk the orders could be made permanent.

He said: “The danger is that unless people do know about it and make their voices heard then it will just go ahead and Buckinghamshire Council will just say that’s alright then.”

Cllr Bacon said he had asked whether there had been any recorded accidents in the area before the changes, questioning how the scheme could be justified on safety grounds when there was no accident history.

He said he did not agree with the council’s reasoning or understand how the decision had been reached.

Councillor Frances Kneller said the orders would create problems for residents living on the High Street, particularly when receiving deliveries from companies such as Amazon.

Other businesses warned the plans could deter people from coming into the town centre, raising fears the area could become a “ghost town”.

The petition sets out a series of objections to the scheme, including opposition to reopening Market Square to traffic, arguing it should remain a safe, pedestrian-friendly space rather than a shortcut for cars.

It also opposes proposals for two-way traffic on the High Street, warning this would cause disruption, increase pollution and put pedestrians at risk.

In addition, the petition criticises what it describes as an “event tax”, claiming charges of up to £2,100 for road closures would make events unaffordable.

Steve Bowles, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities said: “This is a live consultation so no decisions will be made until the consultation closes and all feedback has been received.

“The proposed changes have been put forward following concerns raised by local businesses and councillors. They are designed to increase safety for pedestrians and allow more flexibility for local businesses in Chesham.

“We will develop any proposals based on what residents and key stakeholders within the area tell us, so we would encourage everyone who has an interest to take part in the consultation before it closes on 16 February.”

The consultation is seeking views on whether the experimental traffic measures should be made permanent following the trial and runs until February 16, 2026.