Waverley Borough Council has defended its decision to raise parking charges in Haslemere, after residents and councillors warned the latest hikes could harm the high street.

Last week, the Herald spoke with Haslemere residents who described the proposed increase—estimated at 82 percent over five years for some users—as excessive and likely to discourage them from shopping in the town.

Cllr Tony Fairclough, deputy leader of Waverley and portfolio holder for enforcement and regulatory services, said the new charges reflect the cost of maintaining and upgrading the borough’s car parks.

“Parking is an important issue for our residents, and we’re very aware of the strength of feeling in Haslemere,” he said.

“Historically, most people paid by coin – but now the majority pay by card or via the Ringo app. But using Ringo can incur extra charges, such as a 10p fee to pay and a further 10p for reminder alerts.”

He said the council had invested £250,000 in new machines, allowing contactless payments and helping residents avoid Ringo surcharges. These will be operational in all Waverley car parks from May 12, with at least one machine at each location still accepting cash.

The costs from May 12 at Haslemere High Street car park will rise from £1.20 to £1.30 for one hour and from £2.40 to £2.60 for two hours, while three-hour stays will fall slightly from £4 to £3.90. At Tanners Lane, Chestnut Avenue and Weydown Road, one-hour parking will go from 90p to £1, and two hours from £1.80 to £2. Three-hour rates will drop from £3.10 to £2.90.

Cllr Fairclough said longer-stay tariffs have been cut or frozen to support businesses, adding: “We’ve found one-hour parking doesn’t benefit local traders as much as longer visits.”

He added Waverley would be maintaining free parking on Sundays.