Local businesses fear shoppers will flock to the big supermarket around the corner

Council plans to introduce parking meters will crush small business and anger customers, warned a group of traders.

Brent Council plan to introduce pay and display metres on Bridge Road, Wembley, a move locals say will see customers flock to big supermarket chains.

They ran a consultation with residents and traders that ended on July 4 July and plan to make a final decision due at a parking meeting to take place as the Times went to press.

Zeeshan Chaudhry, who runs Food City on Bridge Road, says he can’t compete with nearby Asda Superstore on Forty Lane, which offers free parking spaces to customers.

He said: “Why would they stop here where they have to pay when they could go five minutes up the road to Asda’s where it’s free

“If the council want to help local traders why would they introduce something that will eventually see us go under.”

Traders have more than 300 signatures from residents and angry customers who would have to pay up �2.40 an hour at peak times to use the parking bays.

Anthony Chok, 31, runs the Gary’s Fish Bar on Bridge Road. He said: “It will affect trade because customers have told us they not happy having to pay just to jump in and get some food.”

A Brent Council spokesman told the Times they were standardising parking in the borough.

He added: “At the moment some shopping areas within Brent are free whereas others have pay-and-display parking.”

The council are also proposing to introduce parking meters outside shops in Preston Road and East Lane, both in Wembley, despite opposition from traders.