CORFE Castle is set to become the first parish council to be handed car parking spaces in return for running public loos.

The decision, which has been given the blessing of the Dorset Council’s shadow executive, could now put pressure on for similar deals.

Twenty two residents’ reserved car park spaces at West Street will go to the smaller council as part of the deal for the parish taking on the nearby village toilets – something which will cost it £17,000 a year, only likely to be partly offset by income from parking.

Purbeck councillor and deputy shadow Dorset Council leader Gary Suttle admitted the arrangement amounted to “horse trading” but said that the new unitary council would be saved the cost of running the toilets, or facing a decision to close, and would still be left with the asset at the end of the day.

He said the loos, and car park spaces, had been estimated to be worth £165,500. The toilets were refurbished by the county council in early 2017 at a cost of £38,000. Under current arrangements any asset worth more than £100,000 likely to be transferred to a parish or town council from a district, borough or the county council has to be approved by the shadow Dorset Council.

Cllr Andrew Parry told Tuesday’s committee he was uncertain about the proposal: “I am slightly uncomfortable with salami slicing off car parks…I thought we had a view not to pass on car parks to town and parish councils,” he said.

But Cllr Suttle said it might be a one-off deal: “We are trying to get the parish council to take on a £17,000 a year liability. They’ll get 22 spaces they can use in return…It’s a bit of a horse trade but if we don’t give them the 22 spaces they won’t take on the toilets.”

Council leader Rebecca Knox said a general principle had been agreed that car parks should come to the new Dorset Council but she said there was also the opportunity to consider special cases.

A final decision is now expected to be ratified by Purbeck Council.