Why Grayshott Is Exploring Asset Acquisition

Grayshott is semi-rural, with limited public transport. Many residents, businesses and visitors use our free public car parks to access local shops, services and community facilities.Under current Local Government Reorganisation plans, East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) will merge with other councils in Spring 2028 to form the Mid Hampshire Unitary Authority. Before then, Grayshott Parish Council have been given the opportunity to acquire community assets from EHDC.

Grayshott Parish Council has submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI) to EHDC to acquire a small group of local assets that play an important role in the daily life of the village. These assets are currently owned by EHDC but used almost entirely by Grayshott residents, businesses, and visitors.

The Council’s aim is to protect their long‑term future, ensure they remain free and accessible, and give the community greater control over how they are maintained and improved.

The EOI covers five assets:

Headley Road Car Park

The centrally located village car park, serving shops, cafés, and community facilities. It is a key driver of footfall for local businesses and provides essential short‑stay parking for residents and visitors and workers in the village.

Crossways Road Car Park

The largest and a well‑used car park supporting the village centre. It provides convenient access to shops and medical services helping to keep parking pressure off surrounding streets.

Glen Road Car Park

A smaller but strategically important car park close to the the village square which also provides useful parking for visitors to centrally located residences.

Public Toilet Block (Headley Road Car Park)

A community facility used by shoppers, visitors, delivery drivers, and those attending village events.

Small Land Parcel at Waggoners Estate

A minor green asset within the Waggoners development. Though small in size, it forms part of the wider package of EHDC-owned land in Grayshott.

Risks and Costs

Taking ownership of the village car parks and associated assets is a significant decision. The Parish Council wants residents to understand both the financial implications and the strategic risks of not acquiring them — particularly in light of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and the creation of a new Mid‑Hampshire unitary authority.

As part of this process, the Council has reviewed the structural pressures that typically arise during LGR. These pressures do not indicate that any authority has already decided to charge for, sell, or redevelop the car parks, but they do highlight credible risks that could affect Grayshott in future.

Local Government Reorganisation: Why It Matters

Hampshire’s district councils, including East Hampshire District Council (EHDC), are expected to be dissolved in 2028, with their assets and responsibilities transferred to a new Mid‑Hampshire unitary authority. This means that all district‑owned assets — including Grayshott’s three village car parks — will come under the control of a new organisation with new priorities, new financial pressures, and a new approach to asset management.

Several important factors shape the risk landscape:

  • EHDC currently owns the main public car parks serving Grayshott village centre.
  • Central Government is expected to issue a Structural Changes Order restricting EHDC from disposing of significant capital assets.
  • The Order may be issued in Spring 2027, creating a narrow window for voluntary transfers to parish councils.
  • If the transfer is not completed before the Stop Order or vesting day, the car parks would pass to the new unitary authority, which would decide upon their future use, management, and revenue strategy.

This is the core strategic concern: once the assets transfer to the new authority, Grayshott will have no direct influence over future decisions.

Risk Scenario 1: Sale or Redevelopment of Car Parks

Newly formed unitary authorities often begin by reviewing and “rationalising” their assets. This can include selling land or buildings that are not essential to statutory services. Car parks fall into this category — councils are not legally required to provide them.

Key considerations include:

  • Unitary authorities may choose to sell car parks for development to raise capital.
  • EHDC has confirmed any transfer to Grayshott would be for nominal consideration, but it is unlikely that a future unitary authority would offer similar terms.
  • Other unitary authorities (e.g., Medway, North Northamptonshire) have sold or considered selling car parks as part of wider budget management.

These examples show that car parks can be treated as saleable assets, even though Grayshott’s rural village‑centre car parks are not directly comparable to large urban sites.

Risk Scenario 2: Introduction of Parking Charges

There is also a credible risk that either EHDC or the future unitary authority could introduce parking charges to generate income.

Relevant factors include:

  • EHDC already charges for parking in larger towns such as Alton and Petersfield.
  • Other rural unitary authorities (e.g., North Yorkshire, Highland Council) have introduced or increased parking charges to raise revenue.
  • Car parks are often identified as potential income‑generating assets during financial reviews.

However, there are also counterbalancing considerations:

  • Free parking supports local businesses and village vitality.
  • Enforcement costs may outweigh income in small rural car parks.
  • Disposal or redevelopment may be constrained by conservation area rules, public objection, and highway impacts.

These factors reduce the likelihood of immediate change — but they do not remove the risk entirely.

Costs of Acquiring and Running the Assets

If the Parish Council acquires the three car parks, public toilets, and small land parcel for nominal consideration, it would also take on full responsibility for their ongoing costs. These include:

  • routine maintenance and repairs
  • resurfacing and long‑term capital works
  • lighting, cleaning and waste services
  • insurance and business rates
  • management of the public toilet block

Using information from EHDC and from other parish councils with similar assets, the Council has prepared an estimated annual budget.

Estimated Impact on the Parish Precept

Current estimates suggest that acquiring and maintaining the assets would add around £25 per year to the Parish Precept for a Band D property — approximately 50p per week.

Band D is the middle Council Tax band, so individual households may pay more or less depending on their banding.

Affordability and the Council’s Approach

The Council recognises that any increase in the Precept is significant, especially during a period of rising household costs. It is exploring ways to reduce expenditure, including:

  • shared service arrangements
  • phased maintenance planning
  • efficiency savings

However, savings cannot be guaranteed, and the Council wants residents to have a clear and realistic understanding of the financial implications before any decision is made.

The Council remains committed to keeping all village car parks free to use. Below is the Council’s proposed annual budget for running the assets. These costs are estimates and are subject to change.

About This Consultation

Grayshott Parish Council is inviting residents to share their views on whether the Council should acquire five local assets currently owned by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC). These assets, as detailed above, are the three village car parks, the public toilet block, and a small parcel of land at Waggoners Estate.

The Council has not yet made a decision. A final decision will be taken at the Full Council meeting on 19 October 2026, and the outcome will be directly informed by the feedback received through this consultation.

This consultation is designed to give every resident clear, accessible information about:

  • the potential risks of not acquiring the assets, including how Local Government Reorganisation may affect their future management;
  • the estimated costs of acquiring and maintaining the assets;
  • the possible impact on the Parish Precept.

The Council recognises that this is a significant decision for the community. It is important that residents understand both the risks and the costs so they can give informed, meaningful feedback. The Council is committed to considering all views — supportive, cautious, or opposed — before reaching a conclusion.

This consultation does not assume any preferred outcome. Its purpose is to ensure that the community’s voice is central to the decision‑making process.

If the below questionnaire doesn’t load please follow this link: Have your say on asset acquisition in Grayshott – Fill in form

  • 17 August 2026

    Public Consultation Starts

  • 30 September 2026

    Public Consultation Ends

  • 19 October 2026

    Full Council Meeting Decision

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is the Parish Council considering acquiring the car parks and public toilets, and what happens if it does not?
A: The Parish Council is exploring acquisition so these assets can be managed locally and protected for continued community use. If the Council does not acquire them, ownership and future management would remain with—or pass to—the relevant principal authority. Decisions about charging, closure, disposal or redevelopment would then be outside the Parish Council’s direct control, although no particular outcome should be assumed.

Q: Will the car parks remain free, and would residents be consulted before any future changes?

A: The Parish Council is committed to maintaining free parking in the village for as long as the cost of running these assets can continue to be met through the Parish Precept. Residents would be consulted before any future changes to parking charges, ownership or use are made.

Q: Could the Council acquire the car parks without taking on the public toilets?

A: Unfortunately not. The offer presented by East Hampshire District Council is a package of assets. In particular, the public toilets are built on the same land title as the Headley Road car park, so they cannot readily be separated from the proposed transfer.

Q: Will the public toilets remain open, accessible and free to use?

A: The Parish Council is committed to retaining the public toilets as open, accessible and free to use for as long as their costs can continue to be met through the Parish Precept.

Q: What costs have been included, and what do the legal costs and Pavilion business rates cover?

A: The budget includes the anticipated acquisition and running costs of the assets. The estimated legal costs cover the Council’s legal representation and the conveyancing work required to complete the transfer. The Pavilion business rates are included because acquiring the car parks is expected to take the Council above the threshold for small-business rate relief. As a result, rates would become payable on both the car parks and the sports pavilion, although the Pavilion charge is not expected to take effect until 36 months after acquisition. The current budget detail is available at https://www.grayshott-pc.gov.uk/community-assets.

Q: How was the estimated Precept increase calculated, and what would households in different Council Tax bands pay?

A: The estimate was calculated using the same cost basis as the Council’s annual Precept. East Hampshire District Council provides a tax base expressed as the equivalent number of Band D properties in the parish, which is used to calculate the average Band D charge. The Parish Council does not hold the information needed to calculate the exact increase for every Council Tax band; the charging authority calculates those amounts after the Council submits its annual Precept request.

Q: Will EHDC provide financial support, and could other funding or income reduce the cost to residents?

A: A like-for-like reduction in East Hampshire District Council’s Council Tax is unlikely because principal authorities and parish councils have access to different funding streams and manage their budgets differently. The Parish Council is continuing to explore whether EHDC could provide financial support after the transfer, subject to both councils approving the acquisition. It will also consider appropriate grants, sponsorship, voluntary business contributions and community support. EV charging points and other suitable income opportunities may be explored in the future, but uncertain income will not be treated as guaranteed funding.

Q: How would the car parks be maintained, monitored and enforced?

A: The Council plans to manage the car parks in much the same way as its other village assets. Initially, it intends to retain the existing 24-hour parking restriction and assess usage, infringements and repair needs during the first few months of ownership. It would then put an operating plan in place. This may include appointing a specialist management company if monitoring or enforcement is required.

Q: What would happen if parking charges or permits were considered in the future?

A: The Council is committed to keeping the car parks free. If financial circumstances ever made charging necessary, residents would be consulted before any change. Options such as an initial free-parking period and accessible payment methods could then be considered. The Council’s current understanding is that parish councils do not have the statutory power to operate parking charges or permits directly, so any such arrangement would need careful legal review and might require a third-party management company.

Q: Will there be any changes to Blue Badge parking?

A: No changes to the existing Blue Badge parking arrangements are currently proposed. Accessibility and the use of designated bays will be considered as part of the Council’s ongoing management of the car parks.

Q: Can more parking be provided, and who is responsible for on-street parking and wider traffic issues?

A: The Council has not identified a more efficient layout that would create additional spaces and is not currently in a position to acquire more land for parking. It will assess how the car parks are used during the first few months of ownership. On-street parking, traffic calming, pavements and most highway changes are the responsibility of Hampshire County Council—or the future unitary highway authority—not the Parish Council. The Council’s Roads and Traffic Working Group regularly reviews local issues, liaises with the highway authority and will publicise any statutory consultation so residents can respond.