Cranleigh Needs More Than Buy One Get One Free Parking

Waverley Borough Council has unveiled its latest bright idea: pay for one hour of parking and get the second hour free.

There is, of course, a catch. This generous offer is only available on Wednesdays, from 1pm to 10pm, and only until 31 January 2026.

Why Wednesday? A day when most people are at work. Why not Saturday, when families, shoppers and visitors could actually make use of it?

The scheme is helpful if you genuinely want to stay for two hours, but many residents don’t. For those simply collecting a prescription, picking up a newspaper, or grabbing a few essentials, this offer is largely irrelevant. Surely a far more practical solution would be 30 minutes of free parking every day something that would actually support local residents and small businesses.

Residents are also asking a very reasonable question: if you pay to park in one Waverley Borough Council car park in Cranleigh, why can’t that ticket be used in the other?

Buy one, get one free sounds appealing, but Cranleigh needs something that works in real life.