WAVERLEY has come under fire for using Haslemere as a “soft target” in its raft of cost-cutting budget proposals for 2017/18 in order to plug a £1.5 million deficit.

This week, Haslemere Town Council (HTC) fired off a hard-hitting letter to Waverley Borough Council leader Julia Potts, objecting to the “lack of consultation” before approving proposals to axe the town’s weekly green waste collection service at Wey Hill Fairground car park, to close the public toilets in the High Street and cut back the services at The Edge Leisure Centre.

“The green waste lorry is a vital service for those people who do not have transport to take their green rubbish 13 miles to the recycling centre at Witley,” the town council protested. “To remove it will certainly result in more fly-tipping across the borough and it remains a vital local service.

“The public toilets in the town centre car park are well used and any suggestion they should be closed and the public encouraged to use other commercially owned facilities is totally unacceptable and unworkable. The town council would like to open dialogue about how it can take the facility on as soon as possible.

“The Edge Leisure Centre is one of the best and largest sports and recreation facilities in Haslemere. It is used by a number of sports clubs and the Woolmer Hill Technology College for teaching PE.

“In the Haslemere emergency plan, which has been agreed with Waverley Borough Council, The Edge is the largest emergency rest centre in Haslemere with a capacity of 350.

HTC has demanded to be consulted over any suggested change in its future ownership or use and added: “Any lack of consultation about these three important issues is unacceptable.

“We would hope that if any changes are being considered by WBC they will take time to consult with residents and HTC who are best placed to comment on the requirements of their residents.”

The council also attacked Waverley’s decision to increase car parking charges to balance the budget. In an 11th-hour protest, a group of Tory borough councillors defied the party line to propose an amendment to lessen the hit to motorists.

But it was overwhelmingly defeated by full council members who then approved the budget at the end of last month.

The town council protested that two other scenarios it put forward were “far less detrimental” to High Streets and local businesses but apparently were “not even considered”.

The letter stated: “The lack of consultation with towns and parishes, and disdain for the views of that tier of local government and disregard for the vibrancy of local High Streets is wholly unacceptable. This is a view echoed by the local electorate, only yesterday we received a letter from a resident stating how appalled she was that Haslemere had been targeted once more by Waverley Council’ and questioning if we have been used as a ‘soft target’.”

Waverley’s portfolio holder for health councillor Jenny Else, who supported cut backs at The Edge said: “In 2014/5 the council invested £4million refurbishing Haslemere Leisure Centre, which has proven to be a great success with residents and usage increasing significantly.

“In these challenging financial times we feel it’s appropriate to consider future options for The Edge.”

Jim Edwards, WBC’s portfolio holder for environment, supported proposals to increase parking charges, close public toilets in Haslemere and Godalming, and axe green waste collections.

He said terminating the weekly waste collection would save £26,000 a year and it was “not fair” Godalming and Haslemere benefited from a free service not offered elsewhere in the borough. He said the decision to increase parking charges “wasn’t something we considered lightly”

Waverley’s charges remained some of the “most reasonable in the South,” he said, and revealed the council was in discussions with businesses on taking over the cost of running the public toilets in Haslemere.