Business is dying because of pay and display parking according to shop owners in Orpington shop parade.

Trade is said to be 25 per cent down since Bromley council started to trial parking machines at the Crescent in Orpington.

Steve Ballantyne, who has owned the family-run Crescent Café for 16 years, says customers have been driven away by having to pay to pop into local shops.

He said: “It is literally destroying the trade. This a nice, traditional area and this is wiping people out.

“There are not many old fashioned parades like this left now, there was a buzz to the crescent. There isn’t now.”

Steve said customers do not want to pay to pop into the local shops, instead choosing to use a Waitrose that offers free parking.

The café-owner also said businesses were thinking of selling up because of the lack of custom.

He said: “We’ve never had three empty shops in the crescent before.

“People are thinking of selling up because of it. This was a thriving community, now it is a ghost town.”

Parking restrictions have been in place since September.

Councillor Colin Smith said the pay and display machines have been installed to stop all day parkers, not to make money.

He said: “We sympathise that trade has gone down, but we know a lot of those bays were bunged up by all day parkers.

“What this actually does is free up spaces for passing trade. It is important to note this is under ongoing review.

“The last thing we want to do is depress trade.”

Steve said one hours free parking would solve the problem.

He said: “There is a new café that might be doing ‘ok’, but there is a chemists, bakers, pet shop, dry cleaners, chippie, hairdressers, iron mongers and a mini market that are not.

“Even one hour free would let people pop in to get their shopping and have a chat.”

Councillor Smith confirmed a meeting will be held with business owners to discuss parking.