Agenda item

Imogen Shepherd-DuBey asked the Executive Member for Planning and Enforcement the following question:

 

Question

This week, at our Planning Meeting, I saw housing applications being approved for developments that only provides for just over one car parking space per home. These are often in a locations where there scant provision for public transport and very few services nearby. I have seen housing plans for even less than one space per home in Wokingham, with the excuse of 'it's near the train station'.

 

Experience shows that we end up with too many cars for the spaces provided. There are several housing developments where residents are desperate for better parking solutions that what has been provided. Most homes have at least two working adults who need to use cars and in other situations, there is not enough space for anyone visiting and often these visitor spots are permanently used by residents to alleviate the parking problems. We end up with cars parking on pavements, grassland and neighbouring streets. Essentially, under- providing car parking in Wokingham, is really, really not working.

 

I'd like to know what Wokingham Borough Council now and it future plans to stop the chaos of parking problems continuing?

Minutes:

 

Question

This week, at our Planning Meeting, I saw housing applications being approved for developments that only provides for just over one car parking space per home. These are often in locations where there is scant provision for public transport and very few services nearby. I have seen housing plans for even less than one space per home in Wokingham, with the excuse of 'it's near the train station'.

 

Experience shows that we end up with too many cars for the spaces provided. There are several housing developments where residents are desperate for better parking solutions than what has been provided. Most homes have at least two working adults who need to use cars and in other situations there is not enough space for anyone visiting and often these visitor spots are permanently used by residents to alleviate the parking problems. We end up with cars parking on pavements, grassland and neighbouring streets. Essentially, under-providing car parking in Wokingham, is really, really not working.

 

I'd like to know what Wokingham Borough Council now and in future plans to stop the chaos of parking problems continuing?

 

Answer

WBC has an adopted parking strategy as you are aware and this was consulted on and approved by Members as formal Council policy.  All recommendations to the Planning Committee are based on a full assessment of all the material considerations, including the relevant current parking standards and the Planning Committee need to take those into account when determining planning applications. Schemes presented at the Committee would normally be determined in accordance with the Council’s current prevailing parking standards unless there is a very clear reason to vary those.  That would need to be set out in the Committee report and entirely proven and justified. We are currently in the process of updating our local plan and through this process we will carefully consider the appropriateness of the current standards as we go forward and whether they need to be reviewed.

 

Supplementary question

While I see that is very well intended and things and I understand what it is but in practice I feel that it is not happening.  I particularly don’t see it happening with the properties that we have control of, things like WHL build, particularly around Carnival Pool and the Peach Place Development and things like this.  The parking we have put in those places going forward is inadequate and if we do not make sure that we stick to the standards ourselves how on earth do we expect third party developers to do the same?

 

Supplementary answer

In response to that I would say that where we have varied the standards there is a justification for that.  For instance, as you have mentioned, properties built very close to the station will generally not be required to have the same formal parking standards as properties that are not easily within public transport links.  But as you probably know Councillor Ferris is your representative on the Local Plan Update Group and as he knows me well I will be happy to work collaboratively with him and with Councillor Munro to ensure that parking standards are something that is looked at as we go to the Local Plan Update.