Draft Regulation 18 Sandwell Local Plan
Parking Management
11.56 The management of car parking is fundamental to achieving the Vision for sustainable communities, environmental transformation and economic prosperity. It also has a key role in reducing the impact of vehicle trips on air quality and carbon emissions.
Policy STR8 – Parking Management
- The priorities for traffic management in Sandwell include the sustainable delivery and management of parking in centres and beyond, through use of some or all the following measures as appropriate:
- The management and control of parking - ensuring that it is not used as a tool for competition between centres;
- The type of parking – ensuring that where appropriate long-stay parking is removed from town centres, to support parking for leisure and retail customers and to encourage commuters to use more sustainable means and reduce peak hour traffic flows;
- Maximum parking standards – ensuring that a consistent approach to maximum parking standards is enforced in new developments as set out in the guidance and standards contained at Appendix L;
- The location of parking – by reviewing the location of town centre car parks through the "Network Management Duty", to ensure that the flow of traffic around town centres is as efficient as possible
- Providing more convenient, secure and accessible cycle parking will be a critical part of increasing cycling in Sandwell and making it a natural first choice for journeys. Considering different users and types of cycle parking will be an essential part of this and new developments should consider this in accordance with guidance set out in Appendix L.
Justification
11.57 The correct balance needs to be found between managing and pricing of parking to maximise the use of sustainable travel means to enter town and city centres, whilst avoiding restricting parking to the extent that consumers are dissuaded from using town centres and deterring new development.
11.58 The control and management of parking in centres will require a variety of approaches, recognising that not all publicly available car parking is in local authority control or management. The use of planning conditions to ensure that new public parking is managed appropriately will therefore be an important aspect of this policy.
11.59 The continued adoption of maximum parking standards for all but residential development is an important tool in managing demand for single-occupancy vehicle trips to centres and major employment destinations, leisure and other facilities.
11.60 Reduced levels of long-stay car parking in centres will enable more efficient use of land.
11.61 Where new development that includes parking controls and management to encourage alternative modes for staff and visitors has the potential to impact on adjacent residential areas, post-occupation monitoring may indicate a need for the introduction of residents parking schemes and other traffic management measures. Agreements to secure this will be sought as part of the Development Management process.
11.62 Additional parking enforcement may be required because of new development. Should this require additional Local Authority resources and increases the cost of enforcement for the Local Authority, the developer may be required to contribute to the increased cost of undertaking parking enforcement activities as part of any planning obligations agreement.