THERE was an experiment not so long ago whereby towns did away with traffic signs.

I recall current Marlow mayor Roger Wilson being in favour of this. The logic was that signs caused clutter and distracted drivers.

There was even a suggestion that towns were better off without any traffic lights at all, and I’ve found that to be true whenever there is a breakdown of the signals in High Wycombe.

However, how about extending the principle by getting rid of councils altogether? How about a world with no local government? A world where David Cameron’s Big Society is taken to its logical extreme.

Before you send me away in a straightjacket, think about it. This week, Bucks County Council has announced massive cuts in which lollipop men and ladies and youth workers will lose their jobs. The council hopes their posts will be saved somehow by the local community stepping in and running the show.

Previously, they have said the same thing for library and day centre staff.

Meanwhile, they are probably going to close more services.

In the end, there will be nothing left.

Just town halls and councillors with nothing to run anymore. Even the council tax has been frozen by central government. Schools run themselves, councillors are getting rid of council housing, and they are always over-ruled on planning. So supervising rubbish collections and social services will soon be the extent of their duties.

Would we miss our councils if they went? Not a chance. We wouldn’t even remember what they ever did.