A SUCCESSFUL business has threatened to leave Marlow as Wycombe District Council prepare to raise parking charges in the town.

IQdos, an e-learning consultancy in the High Street with clients including Channel Four and Reuters, said parking charges, some of which are going up by 47 per cent, on April 2 will leave it struggling to pay for staff to park all day.

Managing director Sue Harley warned that the parking charges coupled with rates comparable to London, poor public transport and few affordable homes, was slowly draining Marlow's workforce.

She said: "A few of the businesses in the town are getting together a petition to see what we can do about these increased charges. It is going towards a situation where people will not be able to afford to work in Marlow."

Mrs Harley is also a director of a training and development company in West Street. She said: "Season tickets for staff there used to cost £6,000 a year but after the last raise this shot up to £18,000. We had to send most of the tickets back. Now they are going up again."

Marlow Chamber of Trade is also appealing to the district council over the long-stay parking charges.

Lance Slater, a spokesman for the chamber, said: "It is pointless raising long-stay parking charges without introducing alternatives. This only serves to damage the town's viability by forcing business elsewhere."

However, Wycombe District Council says the charges have been introduced following consultation with local traders.

Cllr Chris Oliver, council chairman of planning environment and transportation, defended the rise saying its priority was visitors, tourists and shoppers, rather than long-stay commuters.

He said: "Obviously increases in parking charges will never be popular but they are necessary to ensure car parks are maintained and improved. Available space for car parking in and around the town centre is limited and we have to make as much of it to benefit the local economy."