Parking and planning permission.

[OrmIrian]

We live in an area of Victorian terraced housing and parking is a total PITA! And getting worse. Ove the last few years there have been many developments of flats with no parking provided which obviously makes it much worse. Generally the parking issue has been 'dealt with' by stating that there is a public car park in the area which residents can use. There is indeed a car park but it's small and completely full at night, even to cars parked on the pavement. So far it's been referred to for at least 3 developments of about 50 flats in all and it only takes less than a hundred cars.

Now the district council is broke and has stated that it wants to sell the car park for development. Obviously there is a petition and the residents and traders committee have been to the local paper, radio and TV, but is there any legal reason that this can't happen? As it was mentioned in the planning permission for previous developments?

Anyone know?

Anyone?

Unfortunately, unless the previous permissions specifically stated that the car parking was to be provided in the public car park (highly unlikely), then while the issue might add weight to the public campaign, in practice there isn't a legal planning reason why the car park could not be sold. IMO.

It sounds like permission has been granted following planning guidance about town centre developments and lack of parking not necessarily being a hindrance to residential development depending on transport accessibility. I think this is a situation where the ideal would be that the people buying the new developments would not have a private car. But that in practice many people do buy cars regardless of the proximity of transport links.

depends if they have to provide parking?

Thanks

"But that in practice many people do buy cars regardless of the proximity of transport links. "

Oh don't they just! I'm just lucky I finish work at 3pm I think that the council will end up looking like complete arses but that's not neccesarily enough to stop them doing it.

We count as town centre so I beleive the ratio of parking spaces to dwelling is lower but there is still some requirement.

Traffic, parking or access problems are valid ground to raise a planning objection.

Unfortunately if the council want to sell the land and the council are responsible for granting planning permission, you may have a problem.

There have been appeals against granted planning permission which are not decided by local planning dept. So I suppose there is a chance that an appeal might succeed.

Do you mean that the permission has been granted on appeal by the planning inspectorate?
In our town centre, increasingly developers are proposing zero parking provision (or operational parking only i.e. a couple of disabled spaces and room for deliveries but not general parking area IYSWIM. This complies with gov guidance in the last maybe 10 years that suggests that in order to provide more sustainable housing and to promote public transport links, and the use of previously developed brownfield sites, parking should be at a maximum standard rather than the minimum standards that most LPA's had.
For example, in my town centre, used to ask for at least 1 space per unit as a minimum. Now ask for 1 as a maximum, and since is a maximum, the theoretical ideal would be less than that.
This seems to me to take little account of the fact that like property ownership, car ownership is seen as a "good thing" in this country, even in urban areas.
Lower parking provision is also usually expected if the units are affordable i.e social rented because statistically there is less demand for parking by social housing (not always the case in practice however).

I suppose the hope is that in the end, there will be such pressure on parking spaces in urban areas that people will decide not to have a car. BUt in the meantime.....

People may well decide not to have a car. But it's a bit tough on those of us who moved in when there were no parking problems. Thing is we live in a small town where it is perfectly possible to walk to all the essential amenities. But not to go anywhere else as the public transport situation is abysmal. If I want to take DS up to the hills with his mountain board I could sit and whistle for a bus! Maybe once a week if we were lucky! And as for visiting my parents... And my DH needs a van for work. Not quite sure how the self-employed workman is supposed to manage

But planning permission has been refused due to lack of parking before yes, and been granted on appeal.

Funny how the council doesn't seem to sell it's land holdings for development in the leafy suburbs where all the councillors live.

Might also have something to do with the fact that denser, more profitable and more sustainable development is possible in town centres as opposed to in suburban areas with dodgy transport links and more dispersed dwellings.
If you took the same site in the town centre and compared it with an equal sized (or even larger) site in the suburbs, the suburban site would probably only be capable of accommodating a small proportion of the residential units that could be provided on an urban site. Because the council will also have rules about the proposed development being in context with or sympathetic to the density and visual appearance of the immediate locality.
But agree, would not be happy at the lack of parking. Even though I can sort of see that there is a good intention behind it.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions and all that. Yes, more housing, hopefully car free, all well and good. But I doubt that the council will at the same time be building more schools, improving local services and transport to accommodate a population increase. Because the planning side of council's is usually completely separate to the actual servicing (i.e. highways, education and so on) aspect of the local council. Which is really against the ethos of joined up thinking and town planning in it's truest sense.

Hmm....I wonder about schools too. Out little school is oversubscribed despite being in special measures . All the other local primary schools are also fullish. There are plans in the next few years to expand 2 schools in the town but not by a huge amt.

I totally agree with the principle. But it's quite unrealistic as things stand. It would be better if there was some way of ensuring that each household has guaranteed room for only one car - in our street several families try to park several vehicles on the street. Which is crazy.

I have come to the conclusion that when my DCs are adults owning a car and driving regularly will be too expensive and the roads to congested, not to mention parking the thing, for then to want to do so. Perhaps that's the plan.