A council has been accused of not caring about a town after it planned to introduce controversial parking measures to its High Street.

Marlow Community Forum members slammed Bucks County Council at a meeting this week, saying the council was “only interested in making more money” from the proposed plans.

George Lawrence said: “Supposing you’ve got kids with you and you have to go and do some business at the bank or something, how are you supposed to do that with all this paying at a machine, then going back and putting the ticket in the car, and a whole load of rubbish like that?

“It’s impossible. It’s just all cash straight to Aylesbury.”

Marlow Town and Wycombe District Councillor Roger Wilson said he “sincerely” hoped the plans would “not come to anything”.

He said: “There may be ways they could collect some money from the town without impinging on the vast majority of people who park in the High Street.

“That High Street is really a breathing artery for the whole town. You close that down, as was proposed back in about ’95, the whole place would have gone dead within three years, four years max.”

Mr Lawrence added: “The guys proposing the pay-and-display haven’t talked to Wycombe District, they haven’t talked to anybody yet.

“It’s just a pure money-making exercise.”

But county council bosses insisted they “care about Marlow and its future”, adding that the “economic health of every town in Buckinghamshire” was important to the council.

Thousands of people have signed a petition against the parking measures, which has been launched jointly by Marlow Town Council, Marlow Chamber of Trade and Commerce, and the Marlow Society, who all say they are “totally against” the proposals.

So far, 3,017 people have signed the petition.

Mark Shaw, Bucks County Council’s cabinet member for transportation, said: “The council cares very much about Marlow and its future, and we have taken detailed parking surveys and leading industry advice on board in trying to develop a parking solution that only serves to enhance the vibrancy of the town centre.

“The review of on-street parking, and the public consultation, is because we want to hear from local residents about the proposed changes.

“I hope residents will remember the energies and efforts of the council when the lorry got stuck on the iconic bridge last winter and we fought against time to get the bridge open for the Christmas trade.

“The economic health of every town in Buckinghamshire is of utmost importance to the council.”

To sign the petition, visit https://democracy.buckscc.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=4302&RPID=8284432%203&HPID=82844323.