Pay and display parking in Hatch End will increase the number of available spaces, according to Harrow Borough Council.

This follows claims by furious shopkeepers that new parking regulations in the high street would kill their business by further restricting the already limited spaces.

The council originally planned to introduce “pay and display” parking in Grimsdyke car park, the service roads and Hatch End Station car park.

After representations from traders the council’s Traffic and Road Safety Advisory Panel (TARSAP) decided to remove the service roads from the scheme.

It also plans to introduce Controlled Parking Zones in many of the residential streets.

Caroline Bruce, corporate director of environment and enterprise, said the council develops parking schemes that will benefit the community and always in consultation with people affected.

She said: “Pay and display parking would help to manage demand and increase the availability of parking spaces.

“Currently there are no controls in place and parking spaces are frequently taken up by commuters who park there for several hours and deny access for short stay visits.

“The nearest available spaces to the centre are often up to five to ten minutes away on foot.”

Ms Bruce added that the TARSAP also recommended that residential parking controls be introduced in a small number of roads around the station, following numerous petitions from residents and a recent public consultation.

Of the 451 responses the council received from their consultation, 52.1 per cent of residents in Hatch End did not consider parking to be a problem in their street compared 44.1 per cent who did.

However, the 44.1 per cent lived closer to Hatch End’s high street and therefore their responses were given more consideration.

The consultation showed 68.7 per cent of residents did not support pay and display parking bays in the Hatch End Broadway area so the council no longer proceeded with.

But only 28.2 per cent of residents supported changes to the existing parking bays in Anselm Road and Cornwall Road.

Three petitions were presented to the council at a TARSAP meeting in June of last year – two of which were against the proposals, with combined total of 180 signatures.

The petition which supported the changes had 29 signatures.

Last week the council announced a policy that would give shoppers 20 minutes' free parking across the borough from Christmas onwards.