LEADING town businessman Stuart Palmer, of Elphicks, has condemned proposed double-whammy car parking hikes which he fears will be "the nail in the coffin" for retailers.

As revealed in the Herald, charges are proposed to increase for the second time in three weeks - which traders believe will drive shoppers away to other towns.

But Liberal Democrats at Waverley Borough Council are set on a course of driving up the cost of parking further to plug a 'financial black hole' of £600,000 in its reserves.

According to party leader Chris Slyfield, the increases are necessary in part due to "Conservative mismanagement of car parks" in which prices have remained frozen for five years.

If Lib Dem proposals get the go-ahead, motorists face increases of more than £240 for season tickets in the worst cases (St.James car park).

Of significant concern to retailers is that short-term parking (which the majority of its customers require) will also rise considerably.

In Lower Hart car park, fare increases from 50p to £1 for a two-hour stay is being proposed, and from 35p to 50p for a stay of 45 minutes. Riverside 2 is also set to increase prices on visits more than two hours, from a current price of £2 to £2.50.

Mr Palmer highlighted the fact that due to Farnham's notoriously poor public transport facilities, car use was predominant. He felt this must be reflected in parking prices.

"This is quite an issue for retailers, and those whom I have spoken to are not happy about it at all. I am considerably concerned as we do not have the details yet.

"The value for money people are getting with their parking is decreasing at a time when retailers are struggling. From dealing with associated stores nationally, retail is not strong at the moment, and footfall within Farnham is down.

"It is a fact of life that people do not want to walk far to shop, so car parking charges together with the negative impact of traffic in Farnham means yet another nail in the coffin. It is going to make the town a far less attractive place for people to come to, so the council must think about this carefully."

He questioned the Lib Dem decision denying consultation on East Street parking being pay on exit - which he said most people favoured over current pay and display systems.

Retailer Keith Clayton, of Alexanders jewellers in Castle Street, also believed car parking increases would be a major problem, but he did not agree the town had excessive traffic problems.

He said: "There are some great shops here in Farnham but the idea of putting up car- parking charges will not encourage them to come here or any other town in Waverley."

The issue was discussed at a meeting of the corporate overview and scrutiny committee in which opinion was divided over whether increases were required.

Conservative councillor James Mackie warned businesses could be affected by the rises, and residents had resented increases as being like a "stealth tax."

Fellow Conservative Carole Cockburn also expressed concern they were not being given an opportunity to scrutinise the proposals due to a lack of detail surrounding them.

In response, Farnham Lib Dem Willie Marshall gave assurances its executive would make an even-handed decision on all its options of generating income.

He vowed it would also take into account its potential impact on business. The executive is due to consider the issue next week.