SHOPKEEPERS and residents have won a two-year battle to get a 'stop and shop' parking scheme installed in Ickenham.

Hillingdon Council has published a feasibility study for a scheme in Ickenham Village, after the issue was first raised in February 2008.

However, the scheme is still not to the complete satisfaction of the Ickenham Residents' Association which says it will fight to make it bigger.

Shopkeepers have long complained that commuters park in spaces in front of local shops and pay to leave their car there all day, before heading to the Tube stations either at Ickenham or West Ruislip, both just a short walk away.

With nowhere for shoppers to park, they simply take their business elsewhere, say the shopkeepers.

Now the stop and shop parking regime, backed by Ickenham Traders' Association and the residents' association will be implemented along Swakeleys Road and on the northern corner of Long Lane, enforced by Hillingdon Council.

Rachel Moore, chairwoman of the residents' association, said: "We will keep going and we will treat this as phase one of the improvements we want. We do not feel this addresses the needs properly of residents living above shops and there are several safety issues in Ickenham we want addressing, including the moving of a crossing and for the Swakeleys Road speed limit to be cut to 20mph."

The stop and shop scheme will allow customers to park free for a limited time, possibly up to an hour. Parking all day will be prohibited.

Many shops in Ickenham parade are small independents who will benefit greatly from an increased footfall.

The scheme will cost about £60,000 for the council to implement.

There was not complete agreement from residents of Ickenham about it however, with many residents sending letters of objection stating it was 'anti-commuter' and did not address the concerns over lack of facilities for commuter parking in the area.

It is likely that commuters will simply seek out other free of charge parking spots close by, until another group complains and demands action. * How do we solve the problem of commuter parking? Email editorial uxbridge@trinitysouth.co.uk.