Agenda item

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND

1. That the draft SPD is adopted.

2.    That authority to make changes to the documents, including any necessary to reflect the Cabinet’s discussions and decision, be delegated to the Assistant Director Planning, Development and Infrastructure in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Infrastructure.

Decision

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND

1. That the draft SPD is adopted.

2. That authority to make changes to the documents, including any necessary to reflect the Cabinet’s discussions and decision, be delegated to the Assistant Director Planning, Development and Infrastructure in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Infrastructure.

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.

Deputy S151 Officer

No further comments to add to the report.

Deputy 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

Advice

Councillor G Sutton introduced the report to members. This report follows consultation and consideration by SPAE OSC on 28 July 2020 and this is the amended draft of the new policy reflecting the views expressed at SPAE OSC for the revision of parking spaces in new developments. The proposed policy aims to secure sufficient levels of onsite parking and marks a departure from previous government guidance on maximum standards to minimum ones and so the requirement has to be met or exceeded. There is also a provision for electric charging points.

Councillor Guest asked what the timetable was for this policy being adopted.

Councillor Williams confirmed it would go to Full Council in November and be implemented immediately.

Councillor Guest ask what the evidence base was for the accessibility zones with lower levels of parking.

A Robinson said this was linked to historical evidence from previous census reports and other aspects including the location of services in these areas.

Councillor Anderson seconded the adoption of the policy and said he asked for this issue to come before the SPAE OSC when he was chairman and has seen its progress and was pleased to see the council were moving to adopt a minimum parking standard. The impact on maximum standards has been huge.

Councillor Birnie thanked officers for taking on board the comments and views of SPAE OSC. He said he was unclear on how parking provision within industrial sites are calculated. The overspill from developments into residential areas causes problems.

A Robinson said the standard is set out in appendix three which looks at floor space requirements which stems from the accessibility zones and earlier work carried out by Markides. He said the issue of lorry parking was being addressed in the Local Plan with the inclusion of a proposal to provide additional lorry parking in the borough.

Councillor Griffiths asked if this additional lorry parking referred to HGV vehicles or smaller commercial vans.

A Robinson said it focused on larger HGV vehicles. The parking standards for small commercial vehicles tie into the SPD.

Councillor Tindall asked about controlling growth in industrial areas especially at Christmas time where additional lorries and larger vehicles are present.

A Robinson said the SPD does include guidance to cover service vehicles.

Councillor Williams said this issue should partly be addressed by having better parking provision when built, these existing buildings were constructed a while ago and it is now difficult to deal with historical issues. He thanked officers for their work and said it was a hard task trying to reach a consensus and dealing with members expectations on what could be achieved but was pleased that the council was moving to minimum standards.

Recommendations agreed.