Introduction

Grayshott Parish Council has been exploring whether to acquire a small group of community assets currently owned by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC). These include the village’s three public car parks (Headley Road, Crossways Road and Glen Road), the public toilet block, and a small parcel of land at Waggoners Estate.

In December 2025, the Parish Council submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI) to EHDC under the District Council’s Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) programme. ABCD has been in place for several years and encourages local communities to take on assets where this would strengthen local resilience and community-led management.

Since then, Government has announced that Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is now on pause. This means the previously proposed timetable for dissolving district councils and creating a new unitary authority is no longer active. The implications of this pause for EHDC’s asset-transfer programme are still being assessed, and the Council is seeking clarification on whether our EOI will continue to progress. However, ABCD predates LGR, and we remain hopeful that the programme—and therefore our EOI—will continue.

While we work to understand the impact of the Government’s announcement, the Parish Council’s public consultation continues as planned. It is important that residents have the opportunity to consider the long‑term future of these assets and to share their views on whether local ownership would benefit Grayshott.

The consultation will help inform the Council’s decision once the position with EHDC becomes clearer.

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.

Updated Risk Landscape Now LGR Is Paused

With LGR paused, the immediate risk of assets transferring to a new unitary authority has been removed. However, other long‑term risks remain:

1. Future Policy Changes

Government policy on local government structures may change again. A pause is not a cancellation, and reorganisation could be revisited in future years.

2. Charging or Redevelopment

District councils are not required to provide free parking. EHDC already charges for parking in Alton and Petersfield, and other councils have introduced charges or sold car parks to manage budgets.

While there is no indication that EHDC intends to change Grayshott’s arrangements, the Parish Council has no direct control under the current ownership model.

3. Long‑Term Security

Local ownership would ensure that the assets remain free and accessible for as long as the Parish Council can sustainably maintain them.

Costs and Financial Considerations

If the Parish Council acquires the assets, it would take on full responsibility for:

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

It is also worth noting that, should the Parish Council take on the car parks, it would lose its small business rate relief currently applied to the business rates for the Sports Pavilion. Under current regulations, the Business Rates for the Sports Pavilion will become payable 36 months after the small business rate relief is lost. It has been included in the budget below to give an indication of the financial impact after the 36 months has passed.

Based on current estimates, acquiring and maintaining the assets would add around £25 per year to the Parish Precept for a Band D property (approximately 50p per week). This figure may change as discussions with EHDC progress.

The Council is exploring ways to reduce costs through shared services, phased maintenance, and efficiency savings.

The Council remains committed to keeping all village car parks free to use.

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;
  • 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.

Q: What impact will the Government’s decision to postpone LGR in Hampshire have on the potential transfer of the car parks and toilets from EHDC to GPC?

A: It is still to early to assess what will be the overall impact the postponement.  Whilst the Government has said that it will pause the process, and that local elections next year will take place on existing boundaries for existing local councils, they haven’t committed to scrapping the changes completely at this stage.  Once the Government have considered all options,  it may be that they come up with alternative proposals or simply delay the reorganisation for one or two years.  Under these circumstances, GPC believe that it would be wise to continue to explore the pros and cons of the potential transfer.

Q: Will the parking consultation be cancelled in light of the Government’s decision to postpone LGR in Hampshire?
A: Having invested so much time and effort into the consultation, GPC are planning to continue to ask the views of residents on the potential transfer of the three car parks and the toilet block from EHDC to GPC.  The consultation is an important tool for GPC to understand the views of residents and those from outside the village who use to car parks.  The results of the consultation will also be useful to EHDC in shaping any changes to the proposal that they wish to make.

Q: I have already submitted my response to the consultation; how do I add further comments in light of the Government’s LGR announcement?

Rather than submitting another response to the consultation via the online form or the leaflet, if you wish to make additional comments then please email info@grayshott-pc.gov.uk.  These additional comments will then be reviewed in alongside the Consultation results.

Q: What are GPC’s next steps?

A: Once the consultation closes on 30 September, the results will be analysed, along with any additional comments that have been received by email.  The consolidated analysis will be reviewed by GPC at its Full Council meeting scheduled for Monday 19 October at 7.30pm.  At this meeting, the Council will decide what it believes are the most appropriate next steps.