HUNDREDS of parents in Farnham could soon be charged for dropping off and picking up their children from school under Waverley Borough Council’s controversial new school permits policy.

Waverley has a long-standing agreement with several schools across the borough, including St Andrew’s and Potters Gate in Farnham, that allows hundreds of parents to park briefly in council car parks for free at either end of the school day.

However, despite fierce opposition from schools and parents, Waverley’s decision-making executive committee has agreed to dramatically cut the number of permits available to each school.

The council has backtracked on earlier proposals to begin charging for school permits, which it concedes assist in “reducing congestion and pollution immediately outside of schools”, following consultation with those affected.

But it still remains that the number of permits available to St Andrew’s Infant School is set to reduce from 220 to just 115, and from 390 to just 250 at Potters Gate Primary - leaving 245 families in Farnham who would have previously qualified for a permit without one.

This, parents have warned, could result in many families having to find up to £280 per year to park in council-owned car parks such as Upper Hart and Waggon Yard in Farnham, or alternatively add to the traffic outside school gates impacting on safety.

Explaining the reasons for the new policy, a report to Waverley’s executive committee at the end of November said offering free parking permits to parents was “resulting in a potential loss of income for the council”.

However, this differs from the explanation offered by the borough council to affected parents this week, that the new policy is needed “because of increased demand for parking in Farnham”.

One disgruntled parent, Anna Elliot, said: “Parents of children at St Andrew’s have been informed that the parking permits with which we are issued are being partially revoked due to an ‘increased demand for parking in Farnham’.

“Let’s be clear, this is not about demand for parking, it’s another money making scheme by the council. It is another way to penalise families whose children attend a town centre school - some of whom were placed at that school despite requesting their nearest walking distance school.”

Waverley’s decision to restrict permits to one per family, and only for those who live more than a 10-minute walk from the school unless there are “extenuating circumstances”, has also been criticised.

Mrs Elliot added: “Parents who share drop off and collection, either now need to find a way to swap the permit to a different vehicle during the day, or pay for the collection and drop off each day, which could cost up to £280 per year.”

Another St Andrew’s parent, Paula Urquhart, wrote to Waverley leader Julia Potts this week and said: “I am struggling to see why you are endangering the safety of school children and penalising an easy target. It is quite frankly another kick in the teeth for the school and it’s families.

“Like many parents I would love to walk to school but it is impossible as my other daughter needs transporting to South Farnham which would mean my six year old walking for over three hours a day. As a working mum this would impact on my income.

“If this goes ahead the lanes around the school will be jammed with parents dropping their children in which is unacceptable, unsafe and unnecessary. Deliberate profiteering from forced circumstances is appalling.”

Prompting further accusations of “money grabbing”, new figures released by the RAC this week showed Waverley pocketed a surplus of £2,824,000 in car parking revenue in 2015/16 - the 70th highest surplus of all 353 local authorities in England.

Drawing on these figures, another St Andrew’s parent, Martin Spooner, said Waverley’s new policy must be seen in the context of “meteoric” rises in parking charges in the borough over the past five years.

He said: “Waverley’s rationale for imposing this change is ’because of increased demand for parking in Farnham’, yet every morning and afternoon Waggon Yard is half empty.

“It is completely unreasonable for a council to penalise parents, just because they need to drop their children at school.

“St Andrew’s does not have any parking facilities and this smacks of blatant profiteering to the detriment of parents who only get 20 minutes anyway.”

Defending the council’s new policy, Jim Edwards, Waverley’s portfolio holder for environmental services, told The Herald: “Having personally engaged with the schools and ward councillors we have devised a solution which is mutually agreeable to all parties and does not introduce charging for the parking permits - they are still free to schools and to parents.

“The policy does reduce the number of permits available to schools, however as a council we recognise the enormous benefits the permits provide to ensure children are delivered safety to and from school by their parents or guardians who need to drive. They also help to reduce congestion outside of school gates.

“I will continue to work with the schools and the ward councillors so this scheme continues to work for parents.”

Monique Clark, headteacher of St Andrew’s Infant School, confirmed she is “currently in discussions with Waverley concerning parking permits for the school”.