BCP Council: Darryl Howells can report that this morning, the Council’s Cabinet meeting considered and voted upon the new draft Parking Standards SPD, and their resolution was to endorse the document so it proceeds to Full Council on 5th January, with the recommendation to adopt it as the new Council parking document in BCP Council.
The draft SPD seeks to harmonise parking requirements across the conurbation, and encourage developments to come forward with significantly lesser car parking than currently required. In the draft SPD, there are zonal areas (A, B, C & D) and depending on your development, the car parking provision varies for example, any residential development in zone A (town centres) requires zero car parking. Flats in zone B (suburban areas such as Boscombe or Parkstone), the provision is either zero or 1; houses being 1 space. In zone D, then parking provision is 1 space per flat or 2 spaces if a dwelling comprises 3 bedrooms.
If the Council adopts the document on 5th January, it will replace the current Bournemouth Parking SPD (2014); Poole’s Parking & Highway Layout in Development SPD (2011); and Christchurch’s parking standards, that are based on Dorset Council modelling.
The draft SPD if adopted will modernise car parking requirements, reduce need for spaces and offer greater opportunities for housing and commercial development in BCP. If you have a site, and you want to know how best to maximise its potential whilst providing sufficient parking to meet the SPD, then speak to one of our planning consultants.