FAR reaching plans for the future of Haslemere town centre have been unveiled this week, following the official opening of the townÕs newest shopping mall.

Charter Walk was opened last Friday to a fanfare of optimism for a new future for parts of the town from many, among them MP Virginia Bottomley, the town mayor and the organisation set up to attract shoppers and market the town - the Haslemere Initiative.

Chairman of Haslemere Initiative Peter Purchon, a retired insurance broker, said that the organisation was putting together an action plan Òto meet the needs of people in fundamental termsÓ.

ÒWe need to find out whatÕs the best for Haslemere and the way of getting there,Ó said Mr Purchon, who intends to draw together a five-year plan in partnership with other organisations.

Among those involved, he said, would be Haslemere Town Council, Waverley Borough Council, Surrey County Council, Haslemere Chamber of Trade and the Haslemere Society, as well as local organisations.

ÒThere is a huge economic future in Haslemere that is not being realised at the moment,Ó claimed Mr Purchon.

Haslemere, he said, is now regarded as a dormitory town.

ÒIt used to be an important borough in its own right and we need to recreate the importance of the town for the people who live here.

ÒThere is a way open to create better good quality buildings and encourage the population who now shop outside of Haslemere to want to shop in the town for everything.Ó

Mr Purchon spoke of some of the problems in Haslemere including letting the former Lo Cost site.

He said he was pleased to see barriers now installed at the car park at the back of the empty shop.

ÒThe car park is a mess and IÕm glad to see it getting tidied up,Ó he added.

And he expressed regret over properties owned by the Gibbs Trust which have fallen into disrepair.

ÒIt continues to be a frustrating position for all of us to see so many shops empty.Ó

Mr Purchon said he was interested in a medium to long term regeneration plan of up to 15 years.

ÒThe Charter Walk shops are a very good start but surely there must be opportunities to expand the town in a westerly direction,Ó he said.

He sees a new home for Haslemere Fire Station in West Street, away from its present town centre site, and said land could be made available to re-locate the townÕs essential services.

ÒI like Haslemere and am very enthusiastic for the town, said Mr Purchon, who plans to call a public meeting to develop a way forward.

p A Horley-based family furniture and bedding company is the latest business to be interested in taking over the former Lo Cost supermarket, which has been empty for more than five years.

In July a spokesman for the leaseholders, the Co-operative Group, said that the prospective new tenant, Collingwood Batchellor, was expecting to move in within weeks, but nearly four months later the 5,000 sq foot building is still empty.

Store director Guy Collingwood told The Herald that it was ÒcuriousÓ that negotiations had been under way since April of last year and were Òextremely long-windedÓ.

ÒThings are progressing slowly, we wanted to be in for September and now it will probably be spring next year,Ó said Mr Collingwood.

ÒWe are very keen to enhance that part of town.Ó

Giles King, the director of CBHP Investors, who are advisors to the Akzo Nobel Pension Fund which owns the building, said that there were Òvery complex property reasons why it has been difficult to let the buildingÓ.