New Forest residents are being warned that "underused" car parks could be redeveloped to address "housing needs" as part of a new council strategy.

New Forest District Council have launched a public consultation to decide to future of off-street parking and produce a new plan.

It aims to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Councillor Geoffrey Blunden said that parking areas being underused could be repurposed to “address local housing needs”.

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The portfolio holder for environment and sustainability said: “The strategy aims to modernise our parking services, support environmental goals, and generate sustainable income to enhance council services and delivery.

“It will focus on integrating new technologies, such as electric vehicle charging, solar power generation and digital payment systems, as well as exploring opportunities for redeveloping underused parking areas to address local housing needs.”

Future transport trends will also be explored, though there will be no public meetings during this stage of the project.

The information accumulated by this online survey will provide data for an external company – Ethos – to develop a car parking strategy.

After the first draft is complete, a second consultation will include an in-person roadshow visiting multiple venues across the New Forest district.

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Cllr Blunden continued: “We operate a large number of car parks all across the district and this initiative forms part of a wider effort, not only to modernise and improve the service, but to reduce carbon emissions and respond to the climate agenda.

"This consultation is a crucial opportunity for residents, businesses, and visitors to have their say on the future of parking in the New Forest.

“We are committed to creating a parking strategy that not only improves the user experience but also supports the council’s wider ambitions for sustainability and financial responsibility."

The consultation has started and finishes on Sunday, December 1 – any responses issued after those dates may not be included in the analysis.

The final parking strategy is set to be completed by May 2025.