Shopkeepers have clashed with Warwickshire County Council officers over plans to increase traffic wardens and raise parking charges in the town centre.
When county council officers outlined the details of the 'decriminalisation of parking' scheme, project manager Roger Bennett said that traders in the town would "almost certainly" agree to them.
But four months on there is still conflict between t
he two parties' ideas of how the proposals should be put in place, which was evident at a meeting on Tuesday when the county council traffic department met the chamber of trade and other interested parties.
Chamber chairman Sue Butcher, of Torry's in West Street, said: "We have had quite heated discussions with the county council about the finer details of this scheme.
"To say the plans have our blanket backing is not true and I was very cross to read that had been said.
"There are lots of things in the proposals that we are not happy with at this stage."
Mr Bennett believes the proposals, which he says will quicken the turnover of parking spaces in the town centre, will benefit businesses - and Leamington chamber of trade agrees.
But in Warwick the situation is less clear-cut and its chamber fears that what the county council calls "displaced cars" will end up with shoppers moving away from the town unless more viable parking alternatives can be found.
Using the car parks built as part of the St Mary's Lands scheme - in Vittle Drive and at the racecourse - is not the answer, says Mrs Butcher.
The chamber would like to see more free parking available at the Barrack Street car park - from which county council employees benefit - and is also questioning how "surplus funds" would be created from what is being labelled a "self-financing" scheme.
Mrs Butcher added: "We are told the decriminalisation is not-for-profit but hear about surplus amounts of money which will go towards traffic schemes in other areas of the county.
"We want things ring-fenced for Warwick and to protect our smaller businesses.
"The council says that the situation can be reviewed in a year - but a lot of independent businesses couldn't survive for 12 months if these plans don't work.
"Whatever happens, it has to be right first time and in the best interests of smaller businesses."
Another of the current proposals is to have parking restrictions in the town centre until 8pm.
This is seen by the chamber as excessive and it says the restrictions should end at 6pm in order to help the restaurant and bar staff who have to drive to work.
Mr Bennett said: "We have never said that the chamber has given us their full backing
t it has accepted that decriminalisation of parking is definitely going to come in and we believe we broadly have their support.
"We are still discussing the finer details on how it will work in Warwick with them."
As the plans currently stand, decriminalisation of parking is expected to be in place by the end of the summer next year.
It means there will be more traffic wardens patrolling the streets and that the issuing of parking tickets becomes a civil rather than criminal offence.
Other alterations to the current plans could mean an extension to the residents' parking zones which would stretch as far as St Laurence Avenue and Lakin Road.
Mr Bennett added: "We are not totally convinced that a residents' parking scheme will be the ideal solution but we are looking into it."
