MOTORISTS should be spared fare increases in most of Farnham's pay-and-display car parks next year, though the charges for the Upper Hart are likely to be reduced for some users and increased for others. Drivers who park all day seem set to see their charges rise from £3 per day to £3.50. And season ticket holders will have to pay £790 - an extra £120 a year. But medium-stay users, including shoppers, will benefit from lower fees, in a bid by Waverley Council to take the pressure off the Lower Hart car park. The scale of fees approved by Waverley's executive on Tuesday, and which will be put to the full council next week, shows charges for the Upper Hart remaining at 40p for up to 45 minutes and 70p for up to two hours. The cost of three hours will reduce by a half to £1, with extra hours above three costing 50p up to a maximum of £3.50. Contract parking charges in the Upper Hart and at the rear of Farnham Locality office will rise by £100 a year to £900. And residents' parking permits across the borough (permitting overnight parking from 4-30 pm to 9-30 am and all day Saturdays) will rise from £175 to £250. John Robini, portfolio holder for car parks, said it is anticipated that the charges will come into effect from April 1, 2007. "While we have managed to minimise an increase in car-parking charges, this slight revision to parking fees will improve the operation and management of Waverley's car parks." Despite the ongoing free-for-all in on-street parking after Waverley's traffic wardens were made redundant, income from almost all the borough's car parks is around, or slightly above, projected levels. The council's estimated income from pay- and-display parking next year is £3,089,500.
