Archived decisions

Contact: Kevin Travers, tel: 01962 857438 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 It is proposed that the County Council's Residential Parking Standards are withdrawn, following the Government issuing of Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3). This does not affect any other Hampshire County Council guidance on parking. PPS3 has provided a new policy context for residential car parking, placing a requirement on district councils to set the parking standards at new residential developments, rather than the County Council. The County Council has little or no involvement in the layout of individual residential developments so the number of parking spaces and how they are integrated into the development is a matter for the district planning process.

1.2 The South East Plan provides policy guidance for non-residential parking and the Local Transport Plan (LTP) provides the overall context for parking policy in the County. The County Council's parking policy will therefore now focus on parking at journey destinations. In addition the demise of the County Structure Plan makes it more appropriate that residential parking standards are incorporated into individual district council local development frameworks (LDFs).

2. Recommendation

2.1 That the County Council's Residential Parking Standards are withdrawn with immediate effect.

3. Residential Parking Standards

3.1 In February 2002 the County Council adopted the `Hampshire Parking Strategy and Standards' as Supplementary Planning Guidance to support Policy T2 of the Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 (Review) for applications within the area covered by the County Council.

3.2 The Standards apply to provision as part of both new residential and non-residential developments, and are aimed at encouraging the use of alternative modes of transport to the private car. The approach applied a different set of standards for new developments, depending on the availability of alternative means of transport to the car and on local characteristics.

3.3 The standards helped to ensure that development proposals conformed to parking policies and standards which in turn took into account strategic and local objectives. The strategy has been reviewed since then to reflect changes in circumstances related to both transport policies and the planning process.

3.4 Since 2002 there have been two key developments that led to the suggestion that it is now appropriate for the residential element of the Parking Standards to be withdrawn. Firstly the issuing of PPS3 in relation to residential parking, and secondly that the planning system has changed with the demise of the County Structure Plan. The strategies and policies contained in this Plan are now required to be covered by the South East Plan and LDFs produced by district councils.

3.5 The recently published PPS3 on Housing includes the following statement in paragraph 51 on residential parking standards:

"Local Planning Authorities should, with stakeholders and communities, develop residential parking policies for their areas, taking account of expected levels of car ownership, the importance of promoting good design and the need to use land efficiently."

3.6 This supersedes the previous guidance in Planning Policy Guidance 3 (PPG3) which recommended a maximum average of 1.5 spaces per dwelling. It was not made clear at the time whether this should be an average across a development, a district or even a county. This led to much confusion and inconsistency and concerns about the mismatch between levels of car ownership and off-street parking provision in new homes. It became one of the most contentious and unpopular planning policies in operation.

3.7 It is considered that it was never intended to be a means of restricting car ownership or usage, hence its inclusion in PPG3 rather than PPG13, which relates to transport. It was more to do with land usage and housing densities and there appears to be little evidence that restricting car parking at the home end of the journey has any real effect on car trips on the network. Restricting car parking at the destination is a different matter and it is generally accepted that this can have a real effect on reducing car trips.

3.8 It is therefore considered that parking standards for residential development should, particularly in view of the wording in PPS3, be a matter solely for district councils as planning authorities and that the County Council should not seek to formulate a policy on this matter. The County Council has little or no involvement in the layout of individual residential developments, so the number of parking spaces and how they are integrated into the development is a matter for the district planning process.

3.9 This does not stop district councils from imposing constrained residential parking in town centres and accessible areas if it is considered to be appropriate.

3.10 Policy T7 in the South East Plan is related to parking and states that:

"Local Development Documents and Local Transport Plans should, in combination:

(i) adopt restraint-based maximum levels of parking provision for non-residential developments, linked to an integrated programme of public transport and accessibility improvements;

(ii) set maximum parking standards for B1 land uses within the range 1:30 square metres and 1:100 square metres;

(iii) set maximum parking standards for other non-residential land uses in line with PPG13, reducing provision below this in locations with good public transport; and

(iv) include policies and proposals for the management of the total parking stock within regional hubs that are consistent with these limits.

3.11 This provides policy guidance for non-residential parking, with the LTP providing the overall context for parking policy in the county. However, it is for the local development documents to set parking levels and standards for new residential developments.

4. Impact Assessments

4.1 It is considered that the actions outlined above should not have any detrimental impact on equalities or race discrimination.

5. Conclusion

5.1 Given the current position it is considered that the sections of Hampshire Parking Standards relating to residential parking should be withdrawn and district councils encouraged to develop their own standards.

5.2 This proposal does not affect any other County Council advice relating to parking. In particular Council advice on parking at other new (ie non-residential) developments remains unchanged.

1545Rpt/KT