Letter: Planned Charges for Whitmoor Common Car Park Should Be Reviewed

Published on: 10 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 10 Mar, 2019

Cars parked along the verge at the front of the Salt Box Road Car Park in 2016

From Bob McShee

Independent borough councillor for Worplesdon

Readers may recall that last year Surrey County Council planned to install parking meters in the car parks so that all visitors to Whitmoor Common had to pay.

To achieve this, meters, posts, signage and double yellow lines were painted along Salt Box Road at a reported cost of over £26,000.  To date, the parking meters have not been functioning as they cannot pick up radio signals to enable people to pay using their plastic cards.

However, when I was walking my dog last week, I noted that new notices have been put up warning visitors that works will be starting to connect the meters to mains power and telephone lines.  This will require a trench to be dug, so part of the car park will be closed whilst the work takes place.

When the work is completed the parking charge will be introduced at £1.30 per hour.  These charges are the same as GBC charge for people to go shopping in Guildford.

I wonder what the total cost of the installation and maintenance of the parking meters will be, and how many people will continue to walk on the common using the car parks in Salt Box Road?

I think that Surrey County Council should review the parking charges on Whitmoor Common, otherwise many will people will find alternative places to park and walk freely on the common, or will go to walk on the numerous local commons in Worplesdon which don’t have a car park.

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