4: Applying the Parking Standards

4.1 The following sections set out a series of principles and further guidance to assist in applying the parking standards for developments where they are required to provide parking.

Residential Development

Table 1 Residential car parking standards

4.2 National policy sets out the factors to be taken into consideration if parking standards are to be used by a local planning authority. Those that vary geographically across the District include the accessibility of the development to local shops, services and facilities, the availability of and opportunities for public transport and local car ownership levels.

4.3 To provide a general picture, a high-level analysis of these factors across the main settlements in the plan area has been undertaken, along with other localised factors influencing the impact of parking and new development, including the demographics and parking enforcement cases (reflecting the on-street parking availability). Car ownership is above national average levels across most of the District. Levels of ownership however are lower in the main town centre locations as defined in the settlement hierarchy of the Local Plan (Policy STR4) but are shown to be higher on edge of settlement areas.

4.4 Taking in to account the analysis, car ownership levels and higher accessibility to services and facilities, the 'Main Town Centres' of Fordingbridge, Hythe Village, Lymington, New Milton, Ringwood and Totton, are areas considered appropriate for a reduced level of car parking from the recommended figures above in Table 1. Proposals in these areas will be assessed on a site by site basis, reflecting the need to follow a design led approach for the overall site layout and design, and taking in to account the factors used to provide the overall settlement analysis shown in Annex 2. This includes vehicle ownership, proximity to public transport and local facilities and incidences of traffic enforcement. Whilst the details of Annex 2 provide a general picture for each settlement, it is acknowledged that there will be variations in the parking pressures within any settlement and therefore as part of the development proposal will need to be assessed on a site by site basis to justify the level of reduction from the recommended standards.

4.5 Where this is evidenced, the Council will be supportive of low-car development in these sustainable locations, well served by public transport and the active modes of walking and cycling travel. This may include the use of car clubs for relevant developments (see section 9), with these sustainable modes of travel needing to be integrated into development proposals from earliest stages of the planning process, supported by a comprehensive travel plan.

4.6 Layouts based on on-plot parking may include lay-bys and/or other visitor parking space providing that highway safety is not prejudiced and up to a maximum of 20% of the total amount of parking is on site. Such spaces may be counted towards the total provision on the site.

Non-residentialDevelopment

4.7 An extensive list of development types and the relevant parking standards that apply are provided in Annex 1. However, some developments proposals may not fall into any of the categories, in such cases suitable parking provision will be considered on the development's own merit. Parking provision should be set out in detail in the Design and Access Statement or where required the Transport Assessment / Statement.

4.8 The Council will be supportive of low-car development in sustainable locations, well served by public transport and the active modes of walking and cycling travel, acknowledging there is a need to manage the demand for car travel by ensuring that the availability of car parking space does not discourage such alternative transport modes whilst ensuring that car parking does not adversely impact on the surrounding local area. Such departures from the standards are further explained in section 15 of this SPD, and regard should also be given to the factors used to summarise the level of parking stress in a settlement, as shown in Annex 2, as to whether this should justify a higher or lower provision of car spaces.