Parking

[Moo]

I'd always thought that these days new urban developments were required to have at least one off-street parking space for each resident.

I'd be very grateful if anyone knows whether this is true (or, how much is left to the discretion of the local planners).

 

[Pford75]

Moo - I'm not certain on the exact regulations on this, but I do know that our previous property was close to a new-build terrace...this terrace had 5 parking spaces for 8 houses and were sold at extra cost with the house....leding to many disputes.

An application for planning consent has recently been granted close to where we live and the applicants had to demonstrate 'adequate public transport' as the development was rural and larger than 15 plots. So, in this case it would seem that the council were more concerned with the provision of public transport, than parking.

Certainly in London, off-street parking is a luxury with many urban developments.

 

[ajbaker]

I would be amazed if allocated parking was a requirement. I would quite honestly expect the council to pay (yes pay) developers not to provide parking in order to force residents to use public transport. And yes, I am infuriated by parking in my village. The local council have done everything to support local business at the expense of local residents.

 

[Moo]

The question was prompted by the discovery that a block of fifty 'retirement apartments' that has just been completed here in Norwich has no residents' parking at all. It is highly unlikely that the place will be populated entirely by non-drivers and there is absolutely nowhere within walking distance where they could park.
The site slopes steeply towards the inner ring road and I would have thought it possible to have provided parking spaces at the lower level, given a bit of prodding from the planners. Gareth H will know the place I'm talking about.

If it were a conversion of an existing building I could, perhaps, understand. But this was a classic brownfield site.

The minds of planners do seem to move in a mysterious way.

 

[Penners]

I wonder whether there has been a change of heart among planners on this subject?

Like you, Moo, I long ago formed the view that planners generally wanted to see adequate parking arrangements, when considering planning applications. I can't say that I ever had empirical evidence of this, but it seemed to be the case.

But the whole attitude to vehicles in towns/cities has changed radically in the last decade or two. Parking restrictions, park & rides, congestion charges, traffic calming, pedestrianised areas... etcetera and so forth, all point towards an increasing effort to exclude cars.

Maybe this is another arrow in their quiver. "If you wanna live here, matey, get rid of yer motor."

 

[Moo]

But we and our neighbours have parking permits. And another brownfield development (ex-factory) down the little lane opposite us will have parking spaces. Whether or not that's just the developer's way of adding value I've no idea.

Another odd thing about the retirement flats is that the brochure shows a mobility scooter charging area but no provision for parking the things. Presumably the residents are supposed to take them up in the lift and park them in their flats.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

I must confess that I always thought that new builds/conversions are decided on a car parking space per household.

Perhaps it is covert way of cutting the car out of the city, but what if people are disabled, what about deliveries, what about Ambulance, Fire, etc access?

Seems a rum do to me.

 

[lordmulberry]

Slightly off topic but related. Perhaps I'm turning into a GOM but does it seem to others that Local Government Officers (especially Planning) seem to have adopted the attitude that they are our Masters and we who pay their inflated salaries are only there to do their bidding?

 

[Nemesis]

I don't think they have terribly inflated salaries, and I think in general the job they do is a juggling act, what with law, national policies (which keep changing) locally adopted policies, local plans, regional strategies etc etc to try to interpret.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

But we and our neighbours have parking permits. And another brownfield development (ex-factory) down the little lane opposite us will have parking spaces. Whether or not that's just the developer's way of adding value I've no idea.

Another odd thing about the retirement flats is that the brochure shows a mobility scooter charging area but no provision for parking the things. Presumably the residents are supposed to take them up in the lift and park them in their flats.

I rather imagine that the City Council's requirements will vary depending on the location and nature of the development, eg., city centre site for wrinklies - little or no parking as within walking / scootercharging distance of facilities. Yuppie flats (ie not restricted to crumblies) even closer to the city centre - won't sell unless there's somewhere to park the beamer away from the chavs.

Our policy (near but not in Norwich) is generally an average 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling but we have the luxury of vast areas of green space for Mr B*****t, Mr W***y and friends to cover with little noddy boxes. 1.5 spaces is a reduction on what we used to require but even the old requirement was far less than the car-parking expectations of a typical 5-bed executive detached (mum and dad both have a car, as do at least two of the three kids)

 

[AMc]

It could be traffic management decided it wasn't safe to provide a driveway onto the ring road?
I know the Norwich City inner ring road but I have no idea of the site, I could be wrong but there will be a balance between providing residents parking onsite and safe and adequate access to the road.

My folks had (some) trouble convincing their parish council that it was safe to move their vehicular access from the back of the house to the front as the council believed it would be dangerous to have a driveway onto the 'major road' (B road) near to the firestation.

 

[Moo]

An update -

I learned today that the developers have reached an agreement with the hotel down (and the other side of) the road. Residents can park their cars there for £1,000 pa + VAT.

As far as mobility scooters are concerned, there are some sheds that the site manager may allow to be used. Otherwise the suggestion is that you park the thing in your flat!

Regarding the problem of driving out into a busy road - before it was demolished there was a garage on the site, and now six visitors' spaces are provided. The residents are, apparently, considered too doddery to cope with such a difficult manouevre. Unless, of course, they are driving in and out of the hotel car-park.

And these flats aren't cheap!

 

[Nigel Watts]

I rather imagine that the City Council's requirements will vary depending on the location and nature of the development, eg., city centre site for .... Yuppie flats (ie not restricted to crumblies) even closer to the city centre - won't sell unless there's somewhere to park the beamer away from the chavs.

Not here in London.

Details have just been published of a new 50 flat development round the corner from my house. These are clearly targeted at the young professional market. There is not a single parking space. Nearest parking (residents only) is in a small cluster of streets nearby, of which mine is one.

Residents of the new block will doubtless qualify for a resident's permit. When it opens next year we will be lucky to find parking within a quarter mile radius.

All but three of the flats have been snapped up in the first week of marketing.

 

[skier-hughes]

A lot of my young professional friends living in London don't own cars. They tend to live, work and party in London for which there is no need for a car.
They just expect to be picked up from the station when they come to visit.
Two of our friends bought cars for the first time last year as they moved out to the countryside.

Graham

 

[Moo]

I know of at least one young man who has preferred to live in London without a car for the past ten years. Mind you, he can afford things like taxis.

Marriage, followed by the arrival of a lovely little son (how quaintly old-fashioned!) has forced him to become A Polluter.

Nigel - I know exactly how you feel about all those extra permits.
Round our way it's a bit like playing musical chairs. ( Mind you, we suspect that a fair number of permit-holders are turning a pretty penny by renting our their visitors' permits to the commuters).