TRADERS in Hatch End have branded a parking consultation a ‘complete waste of time and money’ as the proposals could be dismissed by the council.

More than half the people living near the Broadway are opposed to the new scheme which aims to introduce parking charges, a survey by the council showed.

The council proposed to charge 20p an hour in Grimsdyke car park and introduce pay and display meters elsewhere, but it may have to back down in light of the petitions when the issue is discussed by councillors this evening (Thursday).

Allan Carr , of Pulver Carr estate agents and co-chairman of Hatch End Traders Association, said: “I think it has been a complete waste of everyone’s time and money. We are going to the meeting to ask a question and I will urge the council to defer looking at this until the correct charges are known.”

The association collected 86 signatures from traders on a petition opposing the changes and Mr Carr believes charges could be raised after a borough-wide parking review is completed in October.

Householders are also concerned the introduction of charges in central Hatch End would lead to people parking in residential streets.

Jigsaw Nursery in Grimsdyke car park also collected 94 signatures of people opposed to the plans and a further 29 signatures were handed in from families in Anselm Road requesting parking controls in their road if the proposals go ahead.

In the questionnaire which was handed out to residents, 68 per cent said they were opposed to pay and display in the bays on Hatch End Broadway.

A Harrow Council spokesman said: “The consultation has not been deemed to be a waste of time as we have received a lot of feedback on a range of issues. No decision has been made yet and the consultation was also intended to make parking fairer in the borough as Hatch End has one of only two car parks in Harrow which is free.”

The report ahead of the meeting states: “As a consequence of the inconclusive results of the public consultation a range of options is available to the panel to choose from. The panel can decide whether to take forward parts of the scheme, undertake new consultations or abandon the scheme and assign funds to another scheme in 2012/13.”

It also says: “It is clear that the proposal in its current form cannot proceed.”

The matter will be discussed at a Traffic and Road Safety Advisory Panel meeting at Harrow Council.