A DIVISIVE row over car parking which split the village of Chawton and led to the mass resignation of the parish council is being addressed in the nick of time as plans surge ahead for celebrations to commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Jane Austen.

With an estimated 50,000 visitors expected to descend on the tiny community over the coming months, the thorny issue of car parking is currently being dealt with in what Chawton Parish Council chairman Tony Costigan refers to as a more harmonious spirit of positive co-operation.

As district council representative for Downland (covering the parishes of Beech, Bentworth, Chawton, Farringdon and Wield),Mr Costigan was brought in in September to help rebuild the parish council, which had suffered a mass resignation in June over a parking problem, generated by an enduring attraction to the author and the place she liked to call home.

It was a problem flagged up in the Chawton Parish Plan, adopted by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) in 2014, and outlining an action plan which Chawton Parish Council has been working to progress.

But the realisation of what this could mean triggered outrage, with residents demanding that councillors show their hand over one course of action which would see the construction of a visitors’ car park on the fringe of the village funded by the provision on the same site of six new houses.

A counter proposal was put forward to look instead at making better use of existing car parks in the village and to restrict on-street parking.

The ensuing debate led to a declaration of ‘no confidence’ in four councillors, creating a rift so great that the decision was taken that all seven councillors should resign to enable the formation of a new council in whom the electorate could have more confidence.

Since September, with Mr Costigan at the helm, a newly co-opted council has been working with EHDC, Alton Town Council, Jane Austen House Museum, Chawton House Library and residents to address the urgent problem of where to park visitor vehicles and coaches, in what promises to be a hectic time for Austen’s village.

It has been made all the more difficult thanks to a decision by EHDC not to renew its lease on the only public car park in the village. Located behind the Greyfriars car park, the land is owned by Fullers Brewery and leased to EHDC for use by the public, and in particular those visiting Jane Austen’s House Museum opposite.

In January, parish councillors heard that, following negotiations, Mr Costigan had managed to persuade EHDC of the significance of this action and it has agreed to fund the lease for a further year, with the support of a £500 contribution from the parish council – a move that has the support of the museum, Chawton House Library and Chawton Primary School, all of which benefit from use of the car park.

In addition, there are plans to direct coaches waiting for visitors to the car park at Alton Sports Centre, and to open up the old Gosport Road hammerhead by Chawton House to facilitate additional public parking, but regulated by the use of the existing barrier. The parish council is also working with residents to help sort out any on-street parking issues that might be interfering with their ability to access their properties.

Meanwhile, Robert Issac, a former councillor who was keen to discuss the possibility of opening up a field in the village as a public car park, has expressed concern that Chawton taxpayers will be paying for a public car park to support the Austen tourist industry.

In a letter to the Herald, Mr Issac said that following the decision by EHDC not to renew the lease on the car park “the burden will from now on fall on the people of Chawton”.

“Our parish council feels that it has no alternative but to take on the car park themselves. It has a small budget, and this cost will add perhaps 30 per cent to it,” the letter went on.

And in his letter, Mr Issac added: “You might think that this is not totally unfair. But bear in mind that the car park’s main function is to provide free parking for tourists, not for residents.

“This year, some 50,000 people are expected to visit our village to celebrate the bicentenary of the death of Jane Austen. We do not ask for them. It is the policy of all the relevant authorities – South Downs National Park, Hampshire County Council and, more recently, Alton Town Council to encourage tourism and direct the tourists to our village, without making any contribution to the cost of accommodating them.

“Surely, expenses of this nature should be borne by the wider public?”

While in the longer term Mr Costigan has confirmed that Chawton Parish Council will be looking to take on responsibility for the lease of the car park, along with its partners, Mr Issac fears that, with a parish precept of just £17,000 per year and just 250 properties in the village (equating to around £68 per household) it could add an additional £30 onto the council tax bill – a situation he describes as “unfair”.