HASLEMERE residents objecting to Waverley Borough Council’s application to deregister Wey Hill Fairground car park as common land to introduce pay-and-display parking, held an impromptu “protest party” at the site.

An open invitation to bring a picnic and enjoy some musical entertainment was issued on social media and printed leaflets circulated around Haslemere the night before, and more than 35 supporters gathered.

A Wey Hill Fairground campaign group spokesman said: “We had a harpist and a violin player, played badminton and watched some juggling.

“It didn’t take long for everyone there to imagine what the space could be, rather than a pay-and-display car park.

“We are suspicious of Waverley’s motives in applying to deregister it as common land for parking improvements and fear it could become a ‘cash cow’. ”

Objectors have also protested the Sun Brow land swop proposed by Waverley to ‘make good’ the loss of common land is not fit for purpose.

Haslemere resident Miles Weston said: “Sun Brow Wood is very, very steep – all of it.

“This is the land Waverley Borough Council wants to give to the neighbourhood in exchange for selling off the Fairground car park.

‘For almost everyone it is a useless bit of land.”

The deadline for responses to the consultation on Waverley’s deregistration application finishes on Monday, July 16.

The town council held a public meeting at Haslemere Hall on Monday, to get feedback before agreeing its response to the application at the next full council meeting tonight (Thursday).

A Waverley spokesman said: “This way a larger and more suitable area of commonland will be retained and allow the council to resurface and regulate the car parking activity on the site in the short-term.

“The work could open up a range of development opportunities in the longer term.”