A councillor has warned that scrapping an hour's free parking at a Harrow shopping area will be its ‘death knell’.

Cllr James Bond warned members of Harrow Borough Council that to cut the hour of free parking at North Harrow’s Cambridge Road car park would damage the area.

Earlier this year, he and other campaigners collected 3,352 signatures from people in North Harrow against the new charges, which will cost drivers 80p an hour.

At last night’s meeting Cllr Bond said: “The parking situation across the whole of Harrow is in tatters.

“I call on the council not to cut the hour free parking in the Cambridge Road car park, or on-street in North Harrow, until there is another option for the whole borough.

“There has been a lot of good work done in North Harrow to regenerate the area, but all that progress will have been for nothing.

“This will be a step backwards and will be the death knell for North Harrow as a shopping centre.”

Cllr Bill Stephenson said: “North Harrow is out of intensive care but it is still in hospital and needs to be nurtured. I call on the leader to not cut the hour free parking.

Leader of the council Cllr Susan Hall said: “The regeneration we have seen in North Harrow is because of the hard work put in by officers, the traders and the community, not just because of free parking.

“I agree we do have a problem with parking across the whole borough and it needs to be sorted out.

“But we have to do something which is fair for everyone across Harrow.”

Cllr Hall told the council she and officers had been in contact with Hillingdon Borough Council for information about their Hillingdon Card scheme which offers people free parking at certain times.

She announced she was prepared to set up a cross party group to look what is required for bring the Hillingdon model to Harrow.

Following last night’s extended debate councillors agreed the issue of the petition should be passed to the council cabinet for examination.