A HEATED debate took place at Haslemere Town Council’s annual town meeting concerning Waverley’s plans to de-register Wey Hill Fairground car park as common land and introduce Pay and Display.

Objectors fear that they will lose a vital town asset for good if it becomes a “cash cow” for the borough council Their hope is the site could be redeveloped in the long term as a mixed use retail and residential “hub” to benefit Wey Hill

Waverley’s head of environmental services Richard Homewood was invited to give a presentation on the plans at the packed meeting in Haslemere Museum, and he came under fire from residents.

Mr Homewood said action had to be taken due to health and safety concerns, because the surface was deteriorating and the site generated no money to fund the necessary repairs.

“We will charge for all-day parking but retain an area for short term parking,” he said. “Free parking for local businesses is still to be determined.

“We aim to recover the costs of the resurfacing in two years and it will have a lifespan of two to four years.

“Any long-term plans for the site may take many years to develop. Hopefully, they won’t take as long as the Brightwells scheme in Farnham.

Haslemere Vision chairman Stewart Brown was applauded when he objected that desire in the town to redevelop the site appeared to be regarded by Waverley as something new.

Mr Brown reminded Mr Homewood that both Haslemere Vision and the Chamber of Commerce had put proposals for a mixed use development to the borough council six years ago.

Mr Brown said: “It’s Waverley that has been unresponsive until now.

“Its previous leader told me the scheme was totally impractical. The fact it has taken six years does not reside in Haslemere.

“We welcome Waverley now considering a mixed development there.

“I understand the intention is to allocate it as a housing site in the Local Plan Part Two. But there is a great deal of suspicion this is all a smokescreen for Waverley to develop a revenue stream.

“Once Waverley has that stream there will be very little incentive to do further development.

“Once it is de-registered, it will be Waverley’s property and there will be nothing we can do to stop you.

“We will lose control.

“It has been common land for over 100 years. When Waverley became the freeholder, there was a clear commitment that it would hold it for the benefit of the people of Haslemere.

“We need a clear commitment now that Waverley is serious about future development there. It’s a key site and it can be a key factor in the regeneration of Wey Hill.

Mr Brown said he did not believe Waverley needed to de-register the site as common land to introduce pay and display regulations and parking charges would get more support in the town if Haslemere continued to have a stake in the site as common land.

He also called for a subsoil survey to be conducted before any resurfacing works that could inform future development proposals, including underground parking.

Mr Homewood assured the meeting there was a new desire in Waverley to work together with communities to develop proposals and councillor Jim Edwards, the borough’s portfolio holder for economic and community development, had been appointed a ‘place shaping’ leader as a commitment by Waverley.

“I fully appreciate what Stewart Brown has said,” Mr Edwards who represents Haslemere told the meeting. “But there is a new objective. Waverley wants to know what you want. But it’s got to be viable. We will listen.”

Town resident Aine Hall was also applauded,when she said Waverley had been a ‘very poor’ custodian of the area of common land and protested there was no need to de-register the site.

“In 1994, the Secretary of State allowed Waverley to carry out works and wrote what parking charges could be made,” she said.

“What has changed? I think we are having the wool pulled over our eyes.

“We should support Haslemere Vision. Stewart Brown and I went to see Jeremy Hunt to say we could transform Wey Hill. Mr Hunt spoke to Waverley in support of the plan. He was told it was too late, but it wasn’t.”

Mr Homewood said the application was to ‘set the ball rolling’ adding: “We could stop people parking there and return it to amenity land.

“We are not giving away amenity land. We are exchanging this land for Sun Brow woods, where we will do some work to improve accessibility.”