HASLEMERE Chamber of Commerce is calling on Waverley not to make the ‘wrong decision’ on Wey Hill fairground car park.

Borough councillors approved a plan this month to apply to the Secretary of State to de-register the site, which has been used as a free car park for many years, as common land with a view to resurfacing it and making it pay and display.

The chamber is urging Waverley to use the opportunity, if consent is granted, to ‘breathe new life’ into Wey Hill – and not just turn the site into a car park.

It says introducing pay and display might solve the inequality of commuters – some of whom may be Sussex or Hampshire residents – benefiting from free parking in the town just a short walk from the railway station. It might also provide an additional much-needed revenue source for the council. But the chamber has warned it would be unlikely to help Wey Hill traders or shoppers.

Waverley proposed de-registering the site as common land and making it a pay-and-display car park in 2012, but the plan triggered a storm of protest.

A public inquiry was due to be held after more than 230 objections were received and Waverley agreed to shelve the idea to allow residents to come up with an alternative scheme.

At the time, Haslemere Vision, which is drawing up the town’s neighbourhood plan, proposed building a ‘Wow Hill’ piazza style development, with housing, shops and parking. The chamber also supported a mixed-use development and town architect Paul Sutton created a conceptual drawing to show how it might look.

His design retained greenery to link with St Christopher’s Green, opposite, and included underground parking topped by a public square and development of multi-storey buildings to make the development viable.

Urging Waverley to make more of the opportunity, chamber president David Goddin said: “Multiple issues would need to be addressed before any such concept could be turned into reality, but the point is the site could be developed to breathe fresh life into Wey Hill – all day, rather than just a brief flurry after the 19.05 from Waterloo and other evening arrivals.

“Waverley has already announced it intends to hold talks with the chambers and councils in Haslemere, Godalming, Farnham and Cranleigh to discuss parking charging strategy.

“We would hope such an opportunity would, in Haslemere at least, also involve all the other parking providers so that an integrated parking strategy can be developed for the benefit of all the town’s businesses, residents, commuters and visitors.

“Waverley’s new portfolio holder for economic development is Haslemere’s Jim Edwards, himself a former Wey Hill trader.

The chamber is due to meet with him in the next few weeks.

Mr Goddin added: “In fairness to Waverley Borough Council, it faces huge problems and has to find additional sources of income in order to meet our service expectations while funding from central government decreases.

“However, that should not give it carte blanche to plunder potentially valuable community assets.

“As detailed at the council’s annual meeting with business this week, Waverley has a five-point strategy for balancing its books.

“This involves tightening up on procurement and efficiency, investing in property, and seeking additional sources of income – including council tax increases.

“With a widening funding gap in forecast, it’s no surprise the council sees the Wey Hill car park as an easy win.

“Following the recent portfolio reshuffle, the councillor formerly responsible for economic development, Andrew Bolton, is now looking after parking.

“Through the regular meetings Haslemere Chamber and colleagues from Cranleigh, Farnham and Godalming have had with Waverley over the past two years, we have developed a good working relationship with him.

“He understands the need to support business across the borough and I am confident he will fully appreciate the implications of a wrong decision on Wey Hill.”