Agenda item

1. That the Draft Parking Standards Supplementary Planning Document for public consultation purposes be agreed.

2. That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director – Planning, Development and Regeneration (in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and infrastructure) to agree the arrangements for public consultation on the Draft SPD.

3. That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director – Planning, Development and Regeneration (in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Infrastructure) to make minor modifications to the Draft SPD prior to consultation.

Decision

1. That the Draft Parking Standards Supplementary Planning Document for public consultation purposes be approved.

2. That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director – Planning, Development and Regeneration (in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and infrastructure) to agree the arrangements for public consultation on the Draft SPD.

3. That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director – Planning, Development and Regeneration (in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Infrastructure) to make minor modifications to the Draft SPD prior to consultation.

Corporate objectives

Having a clear set of standards to govern parking requirements for new development will help support the following objectives:

·         Safe and clean environment: e.g. support policies in the Local Plan that promote a safe built environment

·         Dacorum delivers: e.g. helps provides a clear framework upon which planning decisions can be made.

Monitoring Officer: 

The SPD will ensure that the Council’s standards are consistent with the latest government guidance and should assist consistent decision making and reduce the likelihood of successful challenges to planning decisions.

Deputy S.151 Officer

The cost of creating and consulting on the SPD will be met from within existing approved service budgets.

Advice

Councillor Sutton introduced the report to members and said it had been previously discussed at SPAE OSC. Despite the feedback received from the committee, it was decided that the plan should go forward for consultation in its present form on the basis that a) it has a five year life before it needs to be reviewed and b) there are so many documents in the background that feed into this such as the local plan that the report will take on a different complexion as time goes on. He noted there needed to be a change to recommendation one from Cabinet to approve the draft plan to Cabinet agree the draft plan.

J Doe said this draft plan is different from current policy as it sets minimum requirements for parking spaces which had been a concern in the past for members that the council were working off an old policy. SPAE OSC had concerns about the numbers being generated by the evidence but will have to see what comes out of the consultation. We will have to pay attention to what Herts County Council’s local transport plan says about model shift but the council recognises that Dacorum has a high level of car ownership which needs to be accommodated.

Councillor Tindall asked for clarification on paragraph 6.1 on page 51 where it stated that all parking demand should be accommodated on site and any departure from that standard needs appropriate evidence. He suggested that members of the Development Management Committee could find decision making a struggle unless there is guidance as to what is appropriate evidence.

J Doe said it is covered in the document. If a developer has a good cause for a lower standard, they must work up and submit a parking stress survey. This would be at the developers expense and assessed by DBC alongside the planning application.

Councillor Tindall asked about public transport provision. He asked if the accessibility of public transport should be included in the officer presentation when it is brought to DMC.

J Doe said this is addressed through the accessibility zones in Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted contained in the agenda. This takes into account the walking distances from the town centres and the bus frequency.

Councillor Williams confirmed that after the change to the wording in the recommendation, Cabinet were being asked to agree that the document can go out to consultation and recognise that there are some concerns with the current draft document.