THE manager of a children's farm says his business could be damaged by the council's bid to draw international tourists.

Paul Gubby manages The Christmas Tree Farm, a children's farm in Cudham Road, Downe.

It lies in the area which Bromley Council has applied to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation to make into a World Heritage Site (WHS).

If WHS status is granted, it will offer protection to the 950-hectare site for future generations but will also bring more visitors.

To accommodate increased visitor numbers, the council needs to solve the parking problem and has proposed double yellow lines for Cudham Road.

Mr Gubby says this will have a bad effect on his business because there will be nowhere to park.

The car park at the farm has 15 spaces and some are used by the general public.

However, Mr Gubby says he does not want to enlarge it because he will lose farmland but has offered to paint parking bays in the car park to double the number of spaces.

Mr Gubby, of Chestnut Close, Green Street Green, says the yellow lines will only shift the parking problem into Downe and has organised a petition against them.

The father-of-two said: "They're talking about bringing visitors to Downe and there are hopes for a new shop.

"But the reason the old shop was closed down was because nobody bought anything from it.

"If they want to bring Downe back to life, they should really give the businesses who are already here a bit of support instead of victimising us."

Mother-of-four Lynn Collins, who regularly visits the farm, said: "Where are we supposed to park now?

"The council is privileged to have such a place so children don't grow up wondering what a sheep looks like."

A council spokesman says it will have to strike a balance between the needs of residents, businesses and road-safety issues, such as access for emergency vehicles along Cudham Road.