A ROW over Waverley’s plans to de-register a common land and introduce pay and display parking, escalated when parking wardens issued “illegal” penalty notices, on Tuesday.

The Wey Hill fairground site has been managed by Waverley Borough Council since the 1970s, and been used as a free car park.

Recently, to ensure commuters don’t take over the entire area due to its proximity to Haslemere railway station, Wey Hill traders and shoppers were given a designated area to park within it so retailers don’t suffer.

Last week, local businesses were shocked to receive tickets for the first time for parking in the area.

They protested it was illegal because the site is common land, and unfair, because the “commuter area” was free.

Silkroad co-owner Amanda Baker said: “Wey Hill traders are all up in arms. There is a four-hour limit sign in that area to deter commuters from parking there, but Waverley has always said it won’t police it and no one was given advance warning.

“I think it’s illegal to charge on common land and you can’t charge for parking in one bit and not in the other. This area was set aside to keep Wey Hill shops thrive.

“There’s nowhere else in Wey Hill for shop workers to park and that’s damaging for business. How can you charge anyway, for an area that’s unsupervised, unlit and full of potholes?”

Frederick Hyde’s finance director Bernadette Scott added: “I have over a dozen upset employees, who are not only out of pocket, but very concerned about where they can park in order to earn an income.

“I understand this site is in fact common land and, as such, Waverley Borough Council have no legal right to issue parking tickets.

“We will of course be appealing the issue of these tickets, but I am really at a loss to understand the sense in this decision.”

Waverley could not asnwer a request from The Herald over whether it was legal to issue parking tickets, but said it would cancel them.

A spokesman said: “We decided to enforce at Wey Hill car park, following a number of complaints involving commuters taking up shopper spaces and filling the car park. The decision to enforce was made in the interest of traders and local businesses, to free up spaces for their customers.

“However, the council has not enforced at Wey Hill car park for a number of years and it recognises it would have been better to give some prior warning before taking any enforcement action.

“Waverley will cancel any tickets received by traders if they contact the council’s parking team on (01483) 523408. We also remind traders and other motorists there is a long stay section in the car park, which is free to use all day.”

The furore came on top of the shockwaves caused by Waverley’s renewed proposals to de-register the area and introduce pay and display parking.

Waverley’s decision-making executive, which meets on Tuesday, February 6, is recommended to approve applying to the Secretary of State to de-register the site, with a view to re-surfacing the car park and charging motorists.

A storm of protest greeted a previous attempt by Waverley in 2012 to introduce pay and display at the site. A public inquiry was due to be called after 230 objections were received, but it was cancelled after Waverley decided not to pursue the issue.

Haslemere Vision, which is drawing up the town’s neighbourhood plan, proposed the site could be transformed into “Wow Hill”, instead, a piazza-style development of retail and housing plus a car park.

Recommending de-registration to Waverley executive, officers reported: “The car park surfacing has deteriorated significantly since 2012 and other developments in Haslemere such as the redevelopment and almost doubling of the capacity of the station car park have changed public and member attitudes toward the free use of this car park.

“It is therefore considered appropriate to revisit the proposal now.”

If agreed, Waverley will have to provide “amenity land” in exchange for the loss of common land.

An area of woodland it owns between Kings Road and Sun Brow, is proposed as a suitable swop.

Firing a warning shot across Waverley’s bows, Haslemere Society vice-president John Greer protested: “We have learned with concern WBC are again seeking to install metered parking on the Wey Hill Fairground site notwithstanding the very clear public opposition to this expressed when they proposed this previously.

“To de-register the site as common land, the council has to offer an ‘equivalent’ piece of land and is proposing a hillside it owns.

“It is a more remote location and is significantly inferior, it looks smaller than the fairground site, the topography and access are difficult and in no way can it be considered as an ‘equivalent’ piece of land.

“The council objective is to introduce parking charges to derive further income without any consideration of the residents’ alternative wishes for the site.

“If the council were sufficiently concerned about accommodating commuter car parking and the enhancement of Wey Hill, they should build a multi-level car park on their more concealed and closer to the station Weydown Road car park, which Haslemere Society suggested to them many years ago.

“This would pay for itself in a relatively short period,” said Mr Greer who added Haslemere Vision’s plans for the area would enhance Wey Hill – unlike the council’s parking proposal.