Furious business owners have slammed upcoming parking changes in a Rickmansworth shopping parade, with one saying he will shut for good.

Thirty-five owners or managers of Moneyhill Parade shops have signed a petition, according to its organiser, calling on Three Rivers District Council to halt a new parking scheme that is due to come in next month.

However, the council hit back insisting the scheme follows "careful and extensive consultation over several years" with residents and businesses.

From December 9, there will be a 'controlled parking zone' operating from Monday to Saturday between 8.30am and 6.30pm.

Business owners gather to express their dissent at the schemeBusiness owners gather to express their dissent at the scheme (Image: Richard Burrows) Richard Burrows, who organised the petition and owns B&B Radio & TV in Uxbridge Road, said: "They [the council] are claiming there has been a consultation - there hasn't. They haven't consulted us properly. We've been giving nothing. We'll have to pay £560 per permit and only get one permit per shop."

1882536818825368 (Image: Richard Burrows)

The 57-year-old said it will "kill" the parade, adding: "I'm leaving, I'm getting out. My business relies on a van being parked outside. We've been told that my employee and I will have to park in Rickmansworth High Street and walk to the parade.

"I'm going to move out of the area and take the shop away. I couldn't operate with one permit and even two permits would cost us £1,0000 a year."

Michael Charnock, 34, who manages family business Décor Scene, also lamented what he believes is the decline of this "once thriving" part of Rickmansworth.

Michael CharnockMichael Charnock (Image: Michael Charnock)

"There are 35 of out of 36 shop owners who are against this but we've been laughed at by the council," he said. "I was one of the people who stood here in 2008 for a Watford Observer article on a similar issue and here we are again.

"The way we're going, Moneyhill Parade will soon be shut up like it was in wartime. I've seen Rickmansworth in its heyday when you get anything you could possibly want. Now, the only time it's thriving is on a Saturday lunchtime outside Café Nero."

He added that he feels the council are treating business owners as "cash cows".

Going forward, the group are considering a day where every shop closes for a day in protest.

A Three Rivers District Council spokesperson said: “The scheme was implemented after the council conducted careful and extensive consultation over several years with nearby residents and businesses. This fed into the final plans to improve road safety and prioritise parking places for people living locally and shoppers.”