A SCHEME to introduce parking charges at National Trust Witley Centre, which triggered 80 objections has been allowed by Waverley planners.

The charges are to be £1.50 for an hour, £3 for up to three hours, £4 for four hours and £6 for up to eight hours. Trust members can scan their membership card allowing free parking.

A transaction credit of £1 is transferred to Surrey Hills Partnership.

Permission to install a pay-and-display machine at the Webb Road parking area for Witley Common was deferred until August’s central area planning committee after allowing for Surrey highways advice and further information from the National Trust.

Objectors spoke at the earlier June meeting to urge councillors to reject the scheme on road safety grounds, pointing out people were parking on nearby roads to avoid paying.

Paul Dudley was applauded by supporters when he used the public speaking slot before the planning committee determined the application, to urge members to reject the scheme on road safety grounds due to visitors parking elsewhere.

But Surrey’s highway authority said in its report back to the committee last week “any displacement parking resulting from this proposal would be very minor and would not have a severe impact on highway safety”.

Waverley planning officers had recommended approval, despite the machine being in the Green Belt “given the modest scale of the proposed development” and its location within the car park area.

The trust said it would bring Webb Road car park in line with many of its other car parks in the Surrey Hills area and the money generated would be used to help maintain the countryside and carry out nature conservation work.

It reported back to the committee last week that without the car park money, it could not continue maintenance of the Webb Road car park and may need to consider closing it.

The trust said all income generated by car parks in the Surrey Hills stayed in the area.

In 2015, £166,000 had been made, which was partly spent on dog waste bins in Frensham and Witley, updating mapping in car parks and fixing potholes.