Policy DM29 City centre public off-street car parking
Public off-street car parking will only be permitted within the city centre parking area as defined on the Policies map. Within this defined area, the total number of off- street public car parking spaces available at any one time will not exceed 10,000 and proposals which would result in this figure being exceeded will not be permitted.
Any new public off-street car parking, whether associated with development or not, will only be permitted where it:
a) replaces and consolidates existing provision elsewhere within the defined area;
b) provides efficient, high capacity parking (generally this will require in the region of 500 car parking spaces minimum, unless a lower capacity can be justified by the configuration, design constraints and location of the site);
c) improves the balance and distribution of car parking within the city centre, to provide new parking outside the areas identified for reduced car parking;
d) makes efficient use of land, by decking or inclusion within the built form of a wider redevelopment;
e) operates with a tariff that encourages short and medium stay use, and which discourages all day commuter car parking;
f) includes provision of Variable Message Signing (VMS) to advise motorists of the availability of spaces beyond the development site, as part of the citywide VMS scheme;
g) is of high quality and secure, with level surfacing, marked spaces (including spaces for disabled drivers with appropriate level access to the surrounding area and associated facilities which will ensure safe and convenient access for and use by disabled people), and is properly lit and managed;
h) is easily accessible by car from the inner ring road, either directly, or from a main access route;
i) is easily accessible on foot to the retail/leisure area(s) that it serves; and
j) makes provision for publicly accessible electric vehicle recharging points.
With the exception of multi-storey car parks, the redevelopment of existing car parks for other uses will be permitted to facilitate this consolidation (even where there is no immediate prospect of their replacement) where the existing car park is:
a) poorly located in terms of vehicular access; or
b) located within the area identified for reduced car parking on the Policies map.
c) specifically allocated for development in the Site allocations plan.
Supplementary text
29.1 The NPPF states that local authorities should seek to improve the quality of parking in town centres so that it is convenient, safe and secure, setting appropriate parking charges that do not undermine the vitality of town centres. Also, to effectively implement the NPPF’s advice in relation to sustainable transport and ensure sustainable development, local parking policies , (alongside other planning and transport measures), must help to promote sustainable transport choices and reduce reliance on the private car and high emission vehicles for work and other journeys.
29.2 In accordance with NPPF advice, policy DM29 seeks to secure an overall improvement in off-street parking provision in the city centre by enhancing its quality. However, to implement the objectives for sustainable transport set out in JCS policy 6 and remain consistent with the local transport plan, a policy approach which involves proactive and responsible management of city centre parking demand is necessary to effectively balance the needs of business with the protection of the environment. It is clear that the NPPF does not endorse increases in the quantity of town centre parking where these would lead to an increase in unsustainable travel.
29.3 The aim of this policy is, therefore, to apply appropriate restraints on commuting by car to the city centre whilst improving the range, quality and distribution of available parking. This policy approach will operate in tandem with the aims of NATS to substantially increase the availability and quality of alternative modes of travel to the centre, whilst retaining an appropriate level of visitor/customer parking for city centre retail and leisure uses.
29.4 For the purposes of this policy public off-street car parking is defined as city centre car parking provision that is available for any member of the public to use on payment of a parking charge. It specifically does not include any off-street parking related to a particular use (for example a private office car park). This type of parking provision is normally referred to as ‘private non-residential parking’.
29.5 Policy 9 of the JCS states that parking restraint is appropriate in areas of high accessibility, particularly around the city centre, and NATS policy 32 restrains parking provision in the city centre to operational use only (further information is available in appendix 3) or for visitor/customer needs, provided that this replaces existing provision. This is consequent on a review of parking provision within the city centre. Forecasts show that during the lifetime of the strategy (until 2021), the demand for short and medium stay car parking within the city centre is likely to exceed the current supply of public off-street spaces. Some car parking within the centre is still tariffed for long stay use, despite the long-term policy (NATS policy 35) to provide for long stay needs at the Park and Ride sites. Therefore the expectation is that existing car parking will increasingly operate with tariffs likely to discourage long stay use, whilst this will be a requirement of any replacement car parking provision.
29.6 A policy of restraint on city centre car parking has been in operation since 1995, but the adoption of the local plan in 2004 extended the defined city centre to include the recently constructed Riverside area. The calculated number of city centre spaces at that time was thus expanded to 10,002 to take account of the multi-storey and surface car parking available at Riverside. The area covered by this policy thus includes the historic centre of the city within the former city walls, and the Riverside area, plus those areas adjacent to the inner ring road that have a primarily city centre function. The area is shown on the Policies map, as are the areas, primarily the northern city centre and the Riverside area, that currently have a substantially higher level of parking relative to their level of retail and leisure provision than the primary retail area. It also shows areas of the centre where net levels of parking could be increased.
29.7 Outside this central area, parking will normally be provided on-site in accordance with the parking standards contained in appendix 3.
29.8 Consideration has been given to allowing more flexibility to accept the temporary use of city centre development sites for public car parking as a means of generating income to support the viability of redevelopment schemes, as requested by some objectors to the draft version of this policy. The policy would not necessarily rule this out where the 10,000 space cap is not exceeded, although the site would need to be accessibly located for city centre shops and services. Where public parking was proposed in the short term on that basis, the use of a site for car parking should not result in unacceptable traffic impacts or delay or prejudice beneficial redevelopment. Permissions would need to be strictly time limited to ensure that permanent redevelopment was not unreasonably delayed. Proposals of this nature will thus need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking account of these impacts as well as the availability and quality of existing parking provision within the area in which the temporary parking was proposed.
References
- NPPF, CLG 2012: Section 2: Ensuring the vitality town centres; Section 4: Promoting sustainable transport: Support reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and congestion, exploit opportunities for sustainable transport modes; ensure that developments give priority to pedestrian and cycle movements and have access to high quality public transport facilities; improve the quality of parking in town centres.
- National Planning Practice Guidance, CLG 2014: Ensuring the vitality of town centres.
- JCS policy 9: Strategy for growth in the Norwich Policy Area.
- Norwich area transportation strategy (NATS).
- Transport topic paper, Norwich City Council, April 2013.
