Transport Accessibility Maps Introduction

Introduction

1.1
Car parking is important as it is a key factor in determining travel choices, and is a major user of land resources. This document sets out a revised strategy and a set of parking standards for Hampshire. The need for parking restraint has been recognised by Central Government in the Transport White Paper, Regional Planning Policy and Planning Policy Guidance. The Road Traffic Reduction Act (1997) requires local authorities to assess traffic conditions and set targets for future traffic levels. The Hampshire County Structure Plan policy T2 states that:

Within the integrated transportation strategies, parking policies will be promoted with the aim of reducing the dependency on car use and encouraging the use of alternative modes of transport.
Development proposals will be required to conform to parking policies and standards which will take into account strategic and local objectives.

Photo of parked cars

1.2

All car journeys start and end at a parking space. It is useful to consider them as three main types:

On-street. This may be controlled either by the police or by council enforcement officers.
Public off-street spaces. These are parking areas available to the public, usually at a cost related to the length of stay. Either the local authority or a private company may control the facility.
Private off-street spaces. These are privately owned parking areas, for use by private residents or associated with employment, retail or leisure locations.

1.3

The Local Transport Plans (LTPs) for Hampshire, Southampton and Portsmouth provide a framework for policies and set targets to tackle traffic congestion problems. For example, the Hampshire LTP seeks to halve the rate of traffic growth by 2020.

To achieve this target will require a modest shift in travel behaviour, and the implementation of a package of restraint measures. Car parking is just one such measure. If a restriction in parking spaces is balanced by greater availability of alternative transport modes, then car use can be reduced.

1.4

There are also considerable pressures for new housing and commercial developments in Hampshire that will add to road traffic problems. If development can be sited to minimise travel demand, shorter journeys can be made by means other than the car, such as walking or cycling, with high quality public transport available for longer trips.

1.5

Until recently, parking provision has been quoted in terms of the minimum number of spaces required. In the new Hampshire Parking Strategy and Standards, the number of spaces is quoted as a maximum to avoid over-provision. The actual numbers will depend on a site’s accessibility by alternative modes (for example, public transport). Accessibility maps of Hampshire, showing public transport levels at different times or days of the week, may be found on this website. They provide a guide to accessibility, but local planning authorities may choose to measure relative accessibility by other means. Generally, developments that are well served by alternative modes, or which are planned to be well served, can expect fewer car parking spaces. The Strategy and Standards should not be regarded as encouraging development in less accessible areas where a higher level of car parking might be felt appropriate. For example, PPG6 (Town Centres and Retail Development) applies a sequential approach to all retail proposals, with town centre locations at the top of the preference scale and out-of-town development near the bottom.

Developments remain subject to designations in the Local Plan, and the local planning authority can advise on the relative accessibility of different areas.

Background Information
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