PLANS to add a second storey to a car park at Haslemere railway station have been mooted by South West Trains to help alleviate parking problems in the town.

It coincides with a major consultation which is due to get under way to examine Haslemere's parking problems.

The train operator, which manages the station owned by Network Rail, has told The Herald that it is looking into proposals to add a second level to one of its two car parks.

This is in response to the huge demand by commuters for spaces outside the station.

"The car parks are full to capacity and we have quite a long waiting list for season tickets," a spokesman explained.

The popular railway station currently has one car park with 209 spaces and a second car park with 52.

The smaller one is used exclusively by season ticket holders while the larger one is primarily used by commuters who catch the train before 9 am.

However many commuters, especially those who travel after 9 am, have great problems finding a space.

The popularity of the car parks has prompted South West Trains to think of ways of increasing capacity.

"We have no land to expand the car park; it is a difficult situation," the spokesman explained.

"We are in the process of investigating the possibility of of putting a second tier on the bigger car park.

"It is at the extremely early stages at the moment but it is something that we are looking at now. It is likely to be a very long process."

Putting together expansion plans could be tricky because of the ownership and management set-up of the station.

South West Trains and Network Rail will have to agree on any plans which are drawn up as well as decide who will pay for it.

Haslemere Town Council, Waverley Borough Council and Surrey County Council will also expect to be consulted on the proposals.

A statement from the town council on behalf of the mayor welcomed the news that South West Trains was looking at a possible solution to the railway station's car park problems.

"Haslemere Town Mayor Jean Arrick is delighted at the possibility of a multi-storey car park at the railway station.

"This needs to be a sensitive development. It is also one of the targets set by the Haslemere Healthcheck because of problems with on-street parking in the area.

"Haslemere Town Council will be seeking further information from South West Trains."

The news that proposals are in the pipeline to create a two-level car park coincides with the start of a major study into Haslemere's traffic problems.

The Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) study will look into the extent of the town's traffic and parking problems and officers from Surrey County Council will draw up proposals to help tackle them.

Next month, officers will carry out a traffic count on Haslemere's main roads during peak times to discover how many vehicles use them.

A survey will also be carried out to examine which residential roads are blighted by parking problems caused by train commuters and by shoppers and workers who park in residential roads to avoid paying car parking fees.

These results will then be used to draw up proposals for controlled parking zones which could include restricting the length of time vehicles can be parked in any one place or introducing residents-only parking schemes.

Consultation on the proposals drawn up to tackle the problem should get under way next year.

Last week, town councillors discussed the parking problems in Haslemere at their planning and highways committee where they received a letter from Longdene Road resident Jane Powell about the parking and traffic problems in her road.

In her letter she explained that commuters begin parking in Longdene Road and Courts Hill Road from 6 am and remain there until the evening with some even leaving their cars overnight.

At last Thursday's meeting, councillors said that it was vital that the parking problems in the railway station were tackled along with the general parking problems in the town.

They said that this was the only way to ensure that the problem was not pushed to another area of the town.

"These parking problems are all symptomatic of the parking problems at Haslemere Station," said Michael Dover.

"Until the station satisfies the demand for parking then this problem is going to carry on."