Final push on our parking campaign

With just days to go before the deadline to the Advertiser's Scrap the Evening Parking Charge campaign, residents are urged to join the final push.

It is estimated that more than 2,000 people have already signed the petition calling on Mole Valley District Council to put an end to the hugely unpopular £1 evening fee in Reigate Road and Pippbrook car parks in Dorking.

The petition must be put before the council by 10am on July 13 and with the deadline just over a week away the Advertiser is asking even more readers to make their voices heard.

A final decision is expected to be made at a council meeting on July 22.

Scores of petitions have been handed to shops across Mole Valley and retailers say the response has been "overwhelming".

Barrie Arminson, of the Kingfisher Farm Shop in Abinger Hammer, said more than 200 customers had asked to sign the petition in his village shop.

He said: "I had to print off some extra sheets because we have had so many people signing. We have still got another sheet to go yet but as soon as they come in the shop and see the petition they sign it."

Sarah Slade, of Dorking Stationers, in South Street, said more than five pages of signatures had so far been signed with customers continuing to come in and ask to put their names to the campaign.

She said: "We are not even having to encourage people. They are seeing the petitions and saying 'we want to sign that'.

"We are even getting people asking us 'do you mind if we sign the petition?' The feeling is that people are more than willing without being encouraged which I think is quite an indication of people's anger."

Residents in nearby roads say parking has become more difficult since the new fee was imposed.

Mrs Slade, a resident of Rothes Road, says on-street parking has become much worse.

She said: "Every evening we have got people circling to park their cars who are going to the Dorking Halls."

In addition to the names collected in petitions, hundreds more people have posted cut-out slips to the Advertiser's office calling on the £1 parking fee, which came into force in April, to be scrapped.

Neil McRitchie, manager of DAPA music shop in High Street, Dorking and a resident in Mount Street Dorking, is among those calling for a return to free parking near Dorking Halls.

He said: "I used to belong to the Dorking Dramatic and Operatic Society and go to Dorking Halls quite a lot so I think this is outrageous.

"I live in town and normally walk, so I don't have to park there, but I still think the charge is outrageous and that the councillors get away with parking for free."