Councillor Melville Few
c/o Mrs Sylvia Carter
Community Partnership & Committee Officer
Runnymede Borough Council
Runnymede Civic Centre
Station Road
Addlestone KT15 2AH
Dear Councillor Few,
Re: Proposed changes to parking regulations in Virginia Water
As a resident of or frequent visitor to Virginia Water I wish to register my objection to the proposed changes to parking in the village, which will directly impact on the life, welfare and prosperity of this currently vibrant community.
With a local population of over 6,113 Virginia Water has maintained its sense of community and its diverse range of shops and facilities at a time when many small villages have become featureless outskirts of the nearest major shopping town. There are currently some 33 shops and businesses in the village including a bank, post office, GP surgery, dentist, pharmacy, solicitor, estate agents, grocery stores, bakery, opticians, restaurants, hairdressers….all of which rely on the local community for their trade and services and vice versa.
People using the station or longer term parking quite rightly pay a fee for parking in the village but those who simply wish to make a short visit to one of the many shops or services can currently do so at no charge for up to 2 hours. Plans to reduce this to 30 minutes will have a devastating effect on the local residential and business community by removing one of the key motivators for continuing to use the village rather than one of the surrounding town centres. If this change to parking is allowed to happen, and based on the experiences of other communities where such changes have already been imposed, Virginia Water will lose the very essence of all that makes it a successful and sustainable village.
With just approximately 107 free short-term parking bays and 3 disabled bays along Station Approach and Station Parade it is impossible to understand how the revenue from the proposed parking can justify the increased costs of regulation and maintenance of the new system but more importantly how it will justify the irreparable damage it will do to this community.
Yours truly