COUNCILS in Hampshire have been criticised for continuing to own assets such as riding stables, hotels and theatres.

Campaigning group the Taxpayers' Alliance (TPA) claims eight councils in the county own more than 644 assets including 249 car parks, 14 pubs and 256 shop units and has criticised them for receiving income while pleading with the Government to stop cutting their grants.

But some of the councils have hit back, saying the group's figures are not accurate, many of the assets are land as opposed to actual buildings, and said some provide vital income to offset the cost of providing services at a time when many of their Government grants are being cut.

In Hampshire the TPA's figures, which were compiled through Freedom of Information requests for the financial year 2013/14, show that five golf courses in Hampshire were listed at assets by councils, alongside 15 leisure centres and swimming pools.

According to the figures some of the more unusual sites owned by councils include a riding stables owned by Hampshire County Council, fuel stations on the books at Southampton and Winchester city councils and an ice rink and amusement arcade in Gosport.

Jonathan Isaby, the TPA's chief executive, said he was calling for a "drastic rethink" about the future of many assets, adding: "It looks deeply hypocritical for councils to plead poverty as an excuse for hiking council tax when they've got such a huge asset portfolio.

"Local authorities should be focussed on essential services.

But many councils either disputed the figures or defended the size of their asset portfolios, with some councils such as New Forest District Council saying the figures missed some of their assets.

A spokesman for New Forest said the council receives £298,000 a year from its 879 beach huts, which it says it owns to "to provide an amenity and to generate income from ground rent".

Gosport Borough Council said the council does not own two golf courses or a farm, while Test Valley Borough Council said it received an income of £60,000 from its restaurants and cafes although The Lights Theatre in Andover ran at a £141,481 deficit in 2013/14.

A spokesman for Winchester City Council said the council is estimated to receive £3m in income from rents during 2015/16, with one property to be sold.

She said the council owns property "for a number of reasons", including for operating services from such as museums or waste collections, and added: "Property is also owned for other purposes; the retention of important historic buildings, the provision of important local services, support for the local economy and finally for income generation to offset the cost of providing services."

A spokesman for Hampshire County Council pointed out that many of its assets, such as pubs or restaurants, are the land the buildings are on which are then leased out, and the council has no role in the business.

Executive Member for Income and Capital Receipts Cllr Mel Kendal said: “Hampshire has a strong track record on asset management, and was selected as one of the Department for Communities and Local Government’s Capital and Assets Pathfinders thanks to its work to better use its land and buildings to improve services and generate savings.

“The county council manages a wide portfolio of property and land holdings – all of them are either in operational use or let to others.

“Most of this property is used in direct support of services to residents – for example, the car parks we own are those provided for people visiting our libraries, country parks and other facilities. We also own some car parks that are used for Park and Ride arrangements. A few of our land holdings are let to local businesses. The Council does not own these businesses – typically it owns the land upon which a company has built the facilities, and receives a ground rent.

“Income from property lettings and car parks is reinvested into the provision of Council services. The buying, selling and letting of property is strategically managed to get the best value for taxpayers from the County Council’s land and property.

“To support rural business and ensure that Hampshire’s farming industry remains strong in the 21st century, the County Council also owns a number of farms that are let out to new farmers learning the trade. These new farmers are supported during their tenancy while they gain experience, and then they move up the farming ladder, enabling the farm to be re-let to another new entrant to farming. The County Council places great value on the importance of the county’s rural economy - in particular  the vital role of farms and farmers across Hampshire.”

Fareham Borough Council was unable to respond to the Daily Echo by the time it went to print, while Eastleigh Borough Council declined to comment.

A spokesman for Southampton City Council said: "Like all other local authorities, Southampton City Council owns a range of assets. These include buildings that staff work in and deliver vital services from; those that it owns that support the city’s communities and for the public good; and those that represent investments that support and contribute to the council’s budget.

"There is always a balance to be struck in terms of assets the council holds and those it disposes of, and recent years have seen Southampton City Council reducing the number of buildings it occupies, delivering significant savings while protecting services.

"In the case of some of the more unusual assets identified in this report, the council owns the land rather than the building itself."