A PUBLIC toilet block will be marketed for development – but the surrounding car park will not, councillors decided.

The decision about the Crossways Manor Car Park in Reading Road, Hook, was taken at a meeting of Cabinet at Hart District Council.

The land is considered valuable because it is located in the centre of the village. The decision follows an offer to buy land covering 12 of the 66 spaces at the car park for development one year ago. The Cabinet decided not to approve the sale but to allow Hook Parish Council one year to draw up its parking strategy.

Since then, the district council has received five offers of interest in buying part or all of the car park, and a further six bids to buy the toilet block, which has been closed since 2010. The uses include a cafe, business unit or retail.

At the latest meeting, parish councillor Fergus Kirkham argued that car parking capacity was essential to the village, particularly with 750 new homes planned.

The strategy document said: “Parking need for the surgery, pharmacy, library, shopping, St John’s Church etc cannot reasonably be met elsewhere.

“As the population of Hook increases, Crossways is the only car park with available capacity to cope with the inevitable demand.

“If this capacity is reduced, the viability of Hook village centre as a provider of local services will be severely compromised.”

The Cabinet agreed that the toilet block could be marketed for development, but decided against marketing the car park.

Councillor Mike Morris, Cabinet member for town and village regeneration, told The Gazette the future development meant “it was prudent for us not to make a decision in selling the car park at this time”.