TEMPERS frayed at Liss parish council on Monday when shopkeepers turned out in force to protest at plans for a courtesy crossing and double-yellow lines in the centre of the village. They warned parish councillors that the plans could sound the death knell for Liss as shops would close through lack of support. The proposal was borne out of the Village Design Group's enhancement scheme for the village, working in tandem with parish councillors. The group took on board comments from villagers, who have long said they wanted safer crossing points in the village centre. The courtesy crossing proposed by Hampshire County Council's highways department came with obligatory yellow lines. But the proposals have incensed traders who fear they will lose trade because customers would no longer be able to stop close to their shops. At a parish council meeting on Monday, parish council chairman Nigel Paren told a hostile public gallery that he wanted the matter put before the annual parish meeting next month so that both sides could air their views. "In a sense," he told the meeting, "the parish council is the piggy in the middle here." Lisa Simmons, from Jade News, told the meeting that she was angry that traders had not been consulted about the double-yellow lines. She said shopkeepers had been promised they would be consulted on issues affecting them following their objections to a previous road scheme which proposed a one way system in Liss. Despite assurances that they would be able to have their say, once again the views of traders had been ignored, she told councillors. Ms Simmons said trade would be destroyed in the village centre if the courtesy crossing and the double-yellow lines were introduced. In a letter objecting to the plan, she said: "We need lorries to be able to unload our goods and, of course, we need our customers to be able to pull up and trade with us. This proposal must be thrown out immediately," she warned. Hamish Osbourne, landlord to the Threshers and Gascoigne-Pees businesses in Station Road, said both of his tenants were concerned about the scheme. "All it will do is move the traffic further down towards the level crossing, so it will block the road further down. They are concerned that the facility to pull in is going to be taken away. "This village needs its traders," he warned the parish council, "and if you put yellow lines down, it will wipe out trade, and whatever housing you have here will suffer." And Mr Osbourne added: "It would certainly sound the death knell for the village." Five traders would shortly be looking at renewing their leases, he said, and if they went "you will end up with five empty shops and you are going to look very, very sick". Speaking on behalf of the Sue Ryder shop, manager Shirley Randall told the meeting that she had deep concerns about some of the things that had taken place in Liss. "It was a` beautiful village and it could be again," she told the meeting. "I feel sad that things have been done that do not benefit the village at all." And she warned: "If anything happens to the parking in the centre, I will have to close. We do not make a lot of money, but we get a terrific amount of donations. "I am speaking on behalf of the Sue Ryder charity and I ask you to take up these points. It is essential that we keep a broad band of shops in this village, and the only way we can do that is by using commonsense and co-operation." Morgan Hawes, owner of Vista Vision in Liss, told councillors he did not believe traders could take them seriously. He said that he had voiced concerns about delivery lorries under the new scheme and was later told his comments had been dismissed after the parish council took a straw poll of traders. But Mr Paren assured traders that their views would not be dismissed. He said: "We haven't even discussed the outcome of the exhibition. There will be an opportunity to talk and you will be consulted at the parish meeting." Fellow parish councillor Howard Clarke urged traders to put a representative on the Village Design Group, where their views could be heard. He said: "If you don't take part, it is difficult to take your views into consideration. I urge one or two of you to come along, it would help you."