More car parking on horizon at rail station

Friday, 28 December 2007

FARNHAM commuters may well be getting long- awaited extra spaces at Farnham Station car-park, but not until 2009 and they will come at a price. A 50p rise in the price of a 24-hour ticket will take effect from January 1, which South West Trains says is to fund increases in the capacity of station car parks, including Farnham. A spokesman for South West Trains confirmed that talks have begun with the local authorities about extra spaces at Farnham and planning is expected to begin “early in the new year”. The plan is for a second tier to be constructed above the existing car-park, thus creating 200 extra spaces. SWT said that construction work would hopefully be in progress by the end of 2008. Surrey county councillor for Farnham Pat Frost has not received any such concrete assurance, however. “I have had nothing in writing so far, but if this is true, then I am delighted,” said Mrs Frost, who expressed her sympathy with local commuters, remarking: “I look forward to a formal confirmation.” Likewise Waverley borough councillor Roger Steel is unsure of SWT’s intentions. Mr Steel said the he had received “nothing in an official capacity” to confirm the extension, but confirmed that there have been informal discussions for quite a while now. In relation to the price increase Mr Steel pointed out the importance of commuters to the town of Farnham. “SWT knows this, and I believe that they are taking advantage.” Meanwhile, Farnham rail commuters have expressed their frustration at the latest price-hike from South West Trains. Users of the station car- park are facing a 12.5 per cent price rise in the new year, bringing the cost of a day’s parking up to £4.50. These changes come after ticket fare rises of 25 per cent over the past eight months, with a further 4.3 per cent set for January 2008. Nonetheless, SWT pointed out that the price for 24 hours at Farnham station car park would be less than the average for an eight hour stay in a town centre car park(£4.80). David Jones, Farnham representative for the Alton Line Users’ Group, said: “I would think this price rise to be justified if they could finally provide us with more space. Normally on a weekday from 8am you can’t get a space, and for this reason, I think that SWT are simply milking a captive audience.” Mrs Frost sympathised with the group, adding: “£4 is enough, and it is extortionate to be charging even more.” She saw no logic in making a comparison with town centre car parks, and insisted that any rise should be considered in conjunction with ticket prices, which have already risen dramatically in the past year. Andrew Barber of Crondall, in a letter to The Herald, described the price rise as “outrageous” and admitted that this could tempt him to resort to other measures. “As a commuter I now have a choice to make. I can either swallow SWT’s increase or park in the local streets and save over £1,000 per annum. I would like to apologise to the residents of south Farnham in advance.” The fee increase may well have a knock-on effect for fraught local residents, already burdened by the wholesale parking without charge in nearby unrestricted areas, such as Tilford Road and Waverley Lane. Concerns have been expressed about the effects this has had on traffic build-up in the south Farnham area, and pedestrian safety, particularly in the vicinity of St Polycarp’s and South Farnham Schools. In reaction to this, South Farnham Residents’ Association has drawn up a new set of parking proposals, which is still awaiting a decision by Surrey County Council. If successful, this would force more commuters to battle for places at Farnham station until the car- park extension is completed. Zophia Lovell, of South Farnham Residents’ Association, sympathises with the commuters’ problem. “We don’t just want to see the problem shifted somewhere else,” she said, “There needs to be a car-park extension and the council needs to put pressure on SWT to provide it. “Parking fees are ridiculous and people are bound to be reticent to pay, but parking on Tilford Road just isn’t a reasonable solution. We have three schools, a hospice and an old-people’s home nearby, which can become inaccessible." Mrs Lovell placed the emphasis on local safety, saying that “sometimes there isn’t enough space to fit an ambulance, a fire-engine or even a dustcart along the road”.

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