Parking charges could be introduced or raised in NINE car parks in Surrey
Drivers may soon have to shell out more for parking in Surrey Heath in a bid to raise nearly £350,000 for the council
Surrey Heath Borough Council faces a £1.6million blackhole in its budget, and is considering introducing pay and display in Frimley Green’s free car park.
It is also considering increasing tariffs in eight other car parks across the borough, where charges have remained unchanged for between seven to 12 years.
The executive on Tuesday (December 7) postponed making a decision until January, to give more time to look at implications for residents, on-street parking and footfall in towns and villages.
Council leader Alan McClafferty (Con, St Michaels) said: “Frankly it’s a very important paper because it’s talking about a lot of money.”
He said it would impact “a great many of our residents”. He didn’t want to “add a burden onto their already financial difficulties, potentially forcing on-street parking”.
But he said the other side of the argument was that “demand for services has gone through the roof”.
“Pre-pandemic 2,000 Universal Credit claimants, now over 5,000. We provide a lot of to people who are in difficulty so if that’s going up where do we get the funds from?”
New and increased parking charges across the borough would bring Surrey Heath’s income from car parks up to £1.54million.
But this would still leave a £78,500 shortfall in the assumed car parks budget.
Which car parks are affected?
- Camberley, Main Square
- Camberley, Knoll Road
- Camberley, Surrey Heath House
- Camberley, Yorktown
- Camberley, Watchetts Road
- Chobham, High Street
- Bagshot, The Square
- Frimley, Burrell Road
- Frimley Green, Wharf Road
Frimley Green’s Wharf Road car park near the medical centre, currently free to use, would cost 50p an hour or £5 a day and is expected to raise just over £9,000 a year for the council.
Bagshot, Chobham, Burrell Road in Frimley and Watchetts Road in Camberley are all currently free for the first two hours and run at a loss.
Introducing a charge of 50p per hour Monday to Saturday and £1 all day on Sunday could generate up to £190,000 extra income.
The authority is also looking to bring back charging for the first two hours to park in the Knoll Road multi-storey near Camberley Library. This was suspended in August 2020 during public realm works in High Street.
The recommendation is for £1.70 for two hours and £1.10 for one hour, said to reinstate up to £33,000 of lost income per year.
The first two hours stay in Main Square multi-storey would go up 20p to £2 and it would rise 50p to £2 on a Sunday and remain at £2 on weekday evenings.
Surrey Heath House would be £1.40 for the first two hours and £2 on Sunday while Yorktown would cost £1.30 for the first two hours daily.
The parking subsidy season ticket would remain available to low paid workers, as would school permits allowing free parking for up to 30 minutes on the school run. NHS/carers permits, held by around 80 people, would be extended until 1 May 2022.
Councillor Paul Deach (Con, Mytchett & Deepcut) said he thought there was not enough time to review the plans by January and residents should be consulted.
He said: “We have some incredible minds in our community and not consulting them on big decisions like this at least to my mind is a huge mistake, as well as a missed opportunity.”
A report to the executive said parking charges had increased in nearby Basingstoke, Guildford and Woking town centres since the end of March 2019.
Councillor Victoria Wheeler said: “I have to say from a personal point of view, if it pushes all the car parking into Chobham High Street that would delight me, because then maybe those people that use it as a rat run would choose an alternative route.
“However I don’t think it would do much for pollution and idling cars, so we need a balance.”
The executive is due to make a decision in its meeting on January the 18th.