A Call for Action on Parking

In 2022, the CSRA spearheaded a significant petition to Surrey County Council (SCC) to address our community’s chronic parking issues. The proposals in this petition included:

Extending permit parking hours 24/7 or later into the evening to manage parking availability better.

Eliminating the pay-and-display option for public parking, directing visitors to newly designated parking areas and reducing local congestion.

Prioritising parking considerations within the Farnham Infrastructure Plan (FIP) to ensure a sustainable solution for residents.

Despite our concerted efforts and measured approach, SCC and Farnham Town Council (FTC) dismissed our requests. Our carefully articulated accompanying letter—crafted with CSRA’s assistance—was branded as “demanding” by some council members, an accusation that seems more like an attempt to downplay and disregard the legitimate concerns of our residents. Alarmingly, some FTC representatives claimed that resolving parking issues was “insurmountable,” implying it wasn’t worth the effort.

The petition’s exclusion from the 2022 parking review bypassed the formal procedures and checks usually required, effectively removing a vital mechanism for accountability. The matter was instead handed over to the FIP team, who promised to integrate parking into their plan—a promise that, as recent developments show, has not been kept. Now, SCC and FTC indicate that parking considerations will be deferred until after the FIP’s completion, further sidelining an issue that has been neglected for over two years.

At a recent FIP Board Meeting, councillors were given a clear opportunity to champion our cause by raising concerns about specific parking proposals. While assurances were made that this would be done, it ultimately never happened. Only after it was too late did a follow-up email surface, requesting changes the FIP team predictably ignored, citing finalised plans. This leaves us questioning why no action was taken after the consultation’s closure in January of this year—a question we, too, have asked without satisfactory answers.

While there has been some recent advocacy within the council for this issue, we face the possibility that it is too little or too late. We need immediate and widespread action from our members to prevent our voices from being overlooked again. We urge you to contact your local MP, the mayor, and ward councillors (contact details below) to stress that parking must be prioritised before it is too late.

Our association has fought tirelessly on your behalf, but we’re reaching the limits of what we can achieve alone.

Now, it is up to all of you to show the council that this issue cannot be ignored any longer. Your participation could be the decisive factor that ensures our voices are heard.

This is our last chance—let’s not let it slip away.

Contact: Gregory Stafford MP , Alan Earwaker , Tim Oliver OBE