A consultation on controversial parking measures in Marlow has been slammed by the mayor as “seriously flawed”.

Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) said this week a formal consultation will be launched in January after businesses, residents and the town council hit out at the proposals, which could see people paying £1 per hour or 20p per 12 minutes to park in the High Street and surrounding roads.

Marlow mayor Cllr Jocelyn Towns led the fight against the plans earlier this month, encouraging people to sign a petition opposing the proposals.

She said today that the information by BCC “failed to acknowledge recent discussions between the two councils”, adding that the town council was “disputing the validity” of the consultation.

The town council said Cllr Towns and deputy mayor Chris Funnel met with county council deputy leader and cabinet member for transportation Mark Shaw, where the pointed out that the data being used as a basis for the consultation was “seriously flawed”.

Cllr Towns said: “It’s clear to us from this news release that BCC have disregarded the 7,417 signatory petition we handed over last week, which represents a serious rejection by Marlow of the proposals.

“We met with BCC last week and delivered clearly, on behalf of all the groups and residents, why the consultation in its current form just will not work, but it seems they have ignored our point of view as well as the huge swell of opinion of the people of Marlow.”

She added that the meeting with Cllr Shaw “spelled out precisely and in great detail why the proposed consultation is flawed”, saying: “The objection and notes handed over to BCC spelled out the defects in the muddled-together proposals and the process of consultation.

“They are ignoring the needs of businesses, residents, visitors and the disabled, along with the overwhelming voice of the wider community, who are also impacted.

“A key part of the proposal, for instance, would leave disabled drivers with nowhere to park.

“BCC are proposing to remove the disabled spaces in the centre as well as some of the double-yellow lines around the town.

“Yet they are suggesting that disabled drivers use double-yellow lines. It makes no sense.”

She added: “I want to see an overall parking plan for the town, developed jointly by the Town Council, BCC and Wycombe District Council (WDC).

“I feel very strongly about this, and will do all I can to get BCC to understand that this town works and there is no good reason to change the current on-street parking system.

“We will fight for a clear and unambiguous response from BCC.”