Conservative Councillor Rosemary Dickson (Leatherhead South) has managed to pull off a parking coup for Leatherhead residents.

For some time, Leatherhead residents have been using the parking spaces behind Ranmore House in the Crescent. Parking is only permitted at certain times when the building is not being used.

However the owners of Ranmore House, Wilkie Fund Management suddenly decided to hand out £90 car parking fines. On Good Friday, some 12 people received tickets, causing local uproar.

Councillor Dickson found out who owned the building, and then she managed to speak to one of their senior officers. He told her flatly that the parking fines would continue.

Councillor Dickson, who sits on Mole Valley’s planning committee, was nothing dismayed. She discovered that there was a planning condition on the building from 1996 forbidding the owners from imposing parking fines. She has now sent the original planning conditions and plans to Wilkie Fund Management and demanded that all car parking tickets be rescinded forthwith.

Councillor Dickson said:-

"If property owners are going to start imposing parking fines, they need to read their planning conditions.People have been parking at Ranmore House for years and there was never an issue until now. All it took was a little research and some determination to make the company who own the building back down. Obviously people can only park there at certain times, but given the lack of parking in Leatherhead generally, this is a victory for visitors and residents alike!"