From September 1 Wycombe District Council will take over responsibility for onroad parking in Risborough from the police, and will have a team of trained parking officers out patrolling the town.

Currently traders complain that parking regulations along the High Street are constantly flouted, leading to congestion as vehicles over-stay their one-hour limit in the parking bays or stop in restricted areas.

They argue that if it was easier for people to drive into the town, more shoppers would spend their money there.

Robin Evans, Parking Services Manager at WDC, told RAGB's meeting: "Certainly this should improve your situation. Sometimes PCSOs take on the parking but nine out of ten times there is nobody controlling the regulations. Now it will be Wycombe District employees in council uniform."

He said a team of 37 officers (who are not paid commission or set targets) would be patrolling around the district, of which around two or three would patrol around Risborough.

These, he said, would be committed to areas identified as priorities.

"I would have thought within a couple of weeks you would see a definite change," Mr Evans added.

Princes Risborough Town Council is pushing for a one-way system in the town.

But the chairman of RAGB, Mike Pitcher, said the effectiveness of the new parking regime should be clearly measured before any commitment was made on such a scheme.

The group recently posted questionnaires to 100 local businesses on the issue, of which only 18 responded. All but one supported the concept of a one-way system, with more than half preferring a six month pilot to measure its consequences. These results will be fed back to the town council.

Speaking of the lack of responses, RAGB honorary secretary, Pam Pitcher, said: "So many people complain all the time but when we ask them to do something we get nothing in return."