FARNHAM commuters face being hit with car park season ticket price rises of up to £250.
Motorists who park their cars in St James and Riverside 1 car parks are likely to see their annual season ticket price rocket from £420 to £670 under proposals to be discussed by Waverley councillors on Monday.
Those using the Riverside 2 car park face an increase from £420 to £560.
Other increases would see Dogflud and Wagon Yard season tickets rise from £740 to £790 and Upper Hart parking increase from £630 to £670.
And it is not just commuters who will be hit if the proposed increases are approved. Shoppers and other casual visitors will have to pay more at the council's pay-and-display machines. The biggest proposed rise is from £2 to £3 to park in Riverside 1 car park for more than two hours.
The increases, proposed by Waverley's ruling Liberal Democrat group and which will go before the full council after Monday's executive meeting, were attacked by Conservative group leader David Harmer.
"Is it sensible to ramp up season ticket charges? All it will do is to drive more people onto the roads.
"We filed our budget proposals in February to restrict the rise in shoppers' car parking to the rate of inflation over a four-year period. What was wrong with that? I don't know what the Lib Dems want the money for and I don't know why they are doing it."
Lib Dem leader of Waverley Chris Slyfield responded: "The Conservatives wouldn't put up shoppers' car parking, this is nothing more than catch-up."
Mr Slyfield accused the Tories of "fiddling around with categorising of car parks" while they were in office and not getting a return on them.
"We have had complaints that the use of public funds is being used to support car parks which is not fair to the rest of the non-car users," he said.
A report to councillors says that charges for up to four hours parking in Waverley town centres have not risen in four years and that with cumulative inflation of 15 per cent, the cost of short-stay parking has in real terms reduced over that period.
But that cut little ice with Robin Crawford, chairman of Farnham Visitors Council.
"Anything which discourages visitors from coming to Farnham is obviously undesirable.
"Compared to Farnham prices, Aldershot is dead cheap because the council has a policy of encouraging visitors. Waverley has always gone for car parking charge increases."
The increases will be discussed by the Waverley executive committee on Monday (September 1) in the council chamber of Waverley council's offices in Godalming. The meeting starts at 7 pm, preceded by a public question time at 6-45 pm.