Traders and shoppers could benefit from lower parking charges through until March if a Christmas scheme proves a hit.

From next week, charges in Farnham will be cut to a flat £1 after 1pm Mondays to Thursdays at Waverley Borough Council car parks.

The move came after Surrey County Council together with its Farnham parish and borough counterparts all agreed to co-fund the move  to help those impacted by major town centre works during the festive season.

The project will widen pavements, make crossings safer, and create two-way traffic zones.

It is expected to make significant improvements to the area – however the impact has been felt by many who have said it is hurting trade.

To offset this it was agreed to bring in a lower charge to keep footfall flowing into  the town.  

Now, following a motion proposed by Councillor Jane Austin, leader of the opposition group, with amendments added by Councillor George Murray of the Farnham Residents group, the Christmas scheme could be extended through until Spring.

Cllr Austin told the Tuesday, December 2, full council meeting: “We believe when businesses, shoppers and employers across Waverley need our help we should be there to assist them.

“In Farnham, they should not be left to temporarily carry the burden of improvements that will ultimately benefit the whole community.”

She said the work, which began in February and expected to last for two years,  would improve the town but the council could not ignore the scale and duration of the disruption on the town.

She added the 12 weeks of planned works from January were expected to be among the most disruptive of the entire project and the lower charges would help during this exceptional time.

Of the options available, keeping the reduced parking charges was the most efficient way to benefit the most people,  she said.

Cllr Austin added: “It offers a signal to shoppers that Farnham is open for business, it helps to offset harm to footfall and encourage spend in the town.”

The cost of the extension is thought to be about  £61,000 and would be expected to be split with Surrey County Council.

Cllr Murray, in amending the motion, described it as a genuine attempt to help the businesses of Farnham and that December’s offer had been very well received.

However, he said simply extending the flat rate would be a blunt tool and questioned whether the council really wanted to encourage more cars into the area while major work was being carried out without knowing the long term impact.

Instead he proposed the executive reviews the price cut to determine if it actually helped or just  made things worse by blocking the network. Only if it was a success should the extension be considered.

In addition a grant fund to help support affected businesses – which could then be extended across the borough – would also be established.

The amended motion was passed 38 votes with a single abstention.