Buckinghamshire Council has decided not to make the Chesham Town Centre Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) permanent. This decision follows a sustained campaign by local residents, business owners, and community groups, supported by Liberal Democrat councillors at both Town and Unitary levels.
The outcome follows months of local opposition in which 1,325 residents and traders highlighted that the ETRO was poorly evidenced and had not been fully implemented. Liberal Democrat councillors worked alongside the community to formally challenge the decision-making process, pressing the Council to explain how such a substantial change could proceed without a transparent assessment of the massive public objection.
The campaign focused on several key failures of the scheme:
Cllr Susan Morgan, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Buckinghamshire Council, said:
“This outcome belongs to the Chesham community. Local business people, residents, and community groups spoke up clearly and consistently, and we worked with them to ensure those voices could not be overlooked. By challenging the decision through the council’s formal processes, we helped bring into focus what local campaigners had been saying all along: that this scheme was not supported by evidence and could not justify being made permanent.”
Cllr Alan Bacon, Leader of the Chesham Town Council Liberal Democrat Group, added:
“What made the difference here was people coming together—shopkeepers, residents, civic groups—all raising the same issues. Our role was to work alongside them and ensure those concerns were properly scrutinised at County Hall. This decision shows that when communities organise and are supported by determined opposition, unjustified plans can be stopped. Chesham has won today because Chesham spoke with one voice.”
The ETRO is set to expire on 17th April 2026, at which point the High Street will begin the process of reverting to its original restrictions. The Liberal Democrats say this episode underlines the absolute necessity of genuine engagement and evidence-based decision-making for any future town centre proposals.
At Buckinghamshire Council, the Conservative leadership is trying to sneak through permanent changes that will change the face of Chesham forever. We are standing up to stop them—but we need your help.