Tories launch review into car park sale as ex‑leader defends £1m deal

The documents – relating to the £1 million sale of the council‑owned Fort Road car park to the Home Office – had not been publicly available when the decision was taken under the former Liberal Democrat administration this year.

They show the sale was debated in a private session, with residents and the press excluded from the meeting where the disposal was approved.

It was sold to provide parking spaces for the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre which is currently being revamped before being brought back into use. It follows complaints from residents about contractors and staff parking in the streets nearby.

But now, the new leader of Gosport Borough Council, Cllr Zoe Huggins BEM, confirmed that the Conservatives will carry out a formal review of the process that led to the sale, and the council’s current contractual position with the Home Office.

“It is likely that contracts have already been signed by the previous administration, and we will therefore be working with senior officers to fully understand the position,” she said.

The review will examine how the deal was handled, whether appropriate scrutiny took place, and what options – if any – remain open to the council.

Cllr Huggins said the Conservatives have yet to fully understand the contract but insists that if the authority is legally committed to the sale, they will focus on making sure the proceeds are used in the public interest.

Former council leader and Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Peter Chegwyn rejected suggestions of secrecy.

He said: “There were no secret meetings to discuss the sale of the Fort Road car park, but public meetings did go into private session to discuss commercially confidential information.

“That has always been the way the council has operated for over 50 years including when the Conservatives were last in power.”

He also argued that the capital receipt is central to the Lib Dems’ flagship regeneration plans at the waterfront.

“The £1 million received for the car park will help fund the new ‘People’s Park’, new public toilets, and new harbourside restaurants, bistros and bars”, he said.

“It seems the Conservatives want to stop the ‘People’s Park’ development going ahead and are desperately trying to find reasons to cancel the most important waterfront investment in Gosport for decades.”