This goes to the heart of many nearby residents’ main objections to the application. The primary concern is that insufficient parking has been provided on the site which will result in overspill onto surrounding roads, where parking is already over-subscribed. Also, concerns have been raised in respect of the siting of the new vehicle entrance into the site, and the adverse effect on highway safety. The Panel will recall that one of the reasons that the previous application was refused was to do with a lack of visitor parking. With this current application, the scheme will provide each of the new dwellings with a single parking space, as well as two parking spaces for visitors – a total of six spaces. Overall, this is two spaces fewer than with the previous application; however, the parking requirement has also been reduced by two spaces owing to the reduction in size of two of the units, so overall the shortfall is the same. The Department’s parking standards are taken from Planning Policy Notes No. 3 Parking Guidelines, a document which originally dates from 1988. These guidelines would ordinarily be interpreted to mean that two parking spaces should be provided for a 2-bedroom dwelling, and one space for a 1-bedroom dwelling. Two visitor spaces for four units is correct (one space per three units, or part thereof). However, this is now a rather dated document and more recently, the policies of the 2011 Island Plan now seek to encourage a much reduced reliance of the use of private cars and the provision of fewer parking spaces as part of new developments. For instance, at paragraph 8.137, the Island Plan states that “…the provision of significant amounts of parking space in association with new development is an inefficient use of valuable land and a constraint to achieving good urban design. 8.138 It is, however, recognised that this is a difficult matter to tackle in Jersey where, given high levels of car ownership, many people consider it almost a requirement or even a right to park close to or at their home. There is also evidence, from elsewhere, that development which fails to cater adequately for the car can lead to increasing pressure on nearby kerbside space and for other road users to be excluded from using it. The Minister, thus, acknowledges that for some sections of the Island community the private vehicle remains the only practical transport option… 8.139 The Minister for Planning and Environment will, therefore, develop and adopt supplementary planning guidance which establishes a range of minimum and maximum levels of parking for broad classes of development, including residential and commercial land uses and buildings, as well as for urban and rural parts of the Island. Maximum standards will be designed to be used as part of a package of measures to promote sustainable transport choices, reduce the land-take of development, enable schemes to fit into central urban sites, promote linked-trips and access to development for those without use of a car and to tackle congestion whilst minimum standards will ensure that developers are required to provide a certain level of parking provision where it is appropriate to do so.” This guidance is still in the process of being developed and so for the time being PPN3 remains in effect. PPN3 does however state that “the standards (which it contains) are set down for guidance only and it is not the intention to produce a set of inflexible rules, which are unnecessarily restrictive” The Minister has made it clear that he is keen to promote a reduction in private car usage, and that parking should not dominate development sites, especially those where the availability of land is limited. Having regard to the broad aims of the 2011 Island Plan, a key policy objective of which is the reduction in the dependence on private car usage, the Department does accept that some relaxation of the parking standards may be appropriate in certain circumstances. On this occasion, we believe that a sensible balance has been struck between, on the one hand, ensuring that the site is developed to its ‘highest reasonable density’ (in line with Policy GD 3), whilst at the same time providing a reasonable level of parking for residents and visitors, although of course the Panel will need to satisfy itself with regard to this matter. In considering the level of parking provision, the Panel should also bear in mind that the applicants have agreed to make a £4,000 contribution (£1,000 per unit) towards the development / enhancement of the Eastern Cycle Route network. They have also agreed to cede a strip of land along the roadside boundary of La Rue Horman for the provision of a public footpath, thereby improving pedestrian safety and access in the area. In the Department’s view, these factors offset the parking shortfall to a certain extent. The applicants also point out that the site is fairly close to a large public car park (600m away) and a bus stop (300m away). The proposed new site access has also led to highway safety concerns being raised by nearby residents – the concern is that this new access is in close proximity to a hazardous junction. In response, the Department would stress that the visibility splays from the new vehicle entrance are in accordance with the requirements of the highway authority, TTS Highways who are supportive of the application. |