Amersham residents are furious over plans to end free on-street parking in the town.

Bucks County Council has served notices on residents in Amersham Old Town, outlining plans to restrict free on-street parking.

They are proposing to change four sections of Whielden Street from free parking to pay and display bays, including spaces outside Amersham Hospital.

The proposed restrictions will be in operation from Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm, including Bank Holidays.

Car parks in Amersham are controlled by Chiltern District Council but on-street parking is dealt with by the county council.

The plans to turn the free parking into pay and display spaces were discussed at a Town Council meeting on December 15, with 11 members of public and four councillors in attendance.

Resident, Peter Borrows, said: "There are over 50 homes in Whielden Street and this proposal will reduce the number of free parking spaces to just 34 - that’s for residents and their visitors plus all the customers of the shops, restaurants, pub, B&B - and the hospital."

Resident George Alison said: "Martin Phillips, Bucks County Council Cabinet member for Community Engagement told a packed meeting of Amersham Town Council just before Christmas that he thought this was driven by the County’s need to raise funds. Philips told the meeting that the County Council is facing a £12m deficit and hopes to raise £1m through new parking charges."

David Atkinson, a businessman and member of the Old Amersham Business Association, whose premises are on Market Square, said, "I thought we had seen off this sort of proposal five years ago when over 500 local residents and businesses successfully opposed a similar 'paid for' parking scheme."

The campaign reached its climax in November 2009 when angry protestors took to the streets dressed as traffic wardens, resulting in Amersham’s biggest ever on-street demonstration.

Edward Copisarow, Press Officer for the Amersham Society, called the new proposals "draconian".

Martin Pounce, Amersham Society Chairman, said "We are extremely concerned. It’s a bad scheme that will have catastrophic knock-on effects on homes and businesses in Amersham High Street, Market Square and Broadway and yet the County Council are only consulting a tiny proportion of those who will be affected by their new parking controls.

"It’s vital that we get objections to the Council by 16th January."

Details of the proposed parking changes can be seen at www.buckscc.gov.uk/about-your-council/have-your-say/.

Responses should be emailed to Trish Eastman, peastham@buckscc.gov.uk, by January 16.