Design principles for off-street parking

Content:

Residential parking layouts

To minimise problems of on-street parking, off-street parking areas should be close to the dwellings that they serve to make sure that they are fully used. Separate parking areas which are remote from some or all the properties that they serve, and which cannot be easily observed, can result in on-street parking problems, crime, anti-social behaviour and maintenance problems which discourage their use and affects the overall quality and appearance of a development.

The council, the planning authority and the relevant police force Designing out Crime Officer should be involved in finding parking solutions. As general guidance to avoid potential problems, remote parking areas should normally:

  • be located near to the main entrances to the properties that it serves, with as short and direct a walking route as is possible between the parking court and the property;
  • be secure, including enjoying good natural observation from neighbouring buildings and not be obscured by, for example, walls or close-boarded fences.;
  • be well lit;
  • limit planting to low ground cover only;
  • be suitably surfaced and drained, and the developer will be expected to provide clear details of future maintenance responsibilities (the council will not normally adopt off-street parking areas);
  • have clearly designated spaces for individual dwellings; and
  • have open pedestrian routes to the parking area where possible. Where not, they should be designed in line with the guidance on separate routes at paragraphs 3.88 onwards of this document.

The location and overall design should encourage maximum use of the parking areas to minimise the risk of on-street parking problems.

Minimum parking space sizes and aisle widths are shown in Figure 44. Minimum parking size 2.4m x 5.5m, add 0.5m if bounded by a wall, fence, hedge, line of trees or other similar obstructions on 1 side, 1m if bounded on both sides. Tandem parking spaces should be provided at 6m in length per space, i.e. 12m length for two spaces. This guidance applies to both driveways and parking court layouts.

Long driveways are only counted as 2 spaces (even if more cars could in practice be fitted on the driveway).

Layouts for off-street parking areas

Image
Diagram showing the suggested size and layout of parking spaces (45 degree, 70 degree, 90 and 45 degree mixed parking and 90 degree square parking)

Figure 44: Size and layout of parking spaces

Industrial and commercial and other large-use car parks

The council does not adopt off-street parking. However, parking design should achieve the following.

  • That there is free flow of traffic entering and leaving the car park to minimise the likelihood of tailbacks causing safety problems and delays on the surrounding road network. This may require one- way systems with control ramps or flaps at entrances and exits and appropriate signing in larger car parks.
  • Provide safe pedestrian and cycle routes across the car park to building entrances, following natural paths wherever possible. In larger car parks segregated routes should be considered with raised crossing points on main vehicle routes. Any routes should be in the open wherever possible. Where not, they should be designed in line with LHDG Active Travel guidance.

Such off-street parking areas should:

  • minimise the number of entry and exit points to the public highway;
  • provide visibility splays appropriate to likely vehicle speeds and ‘road’ widths, and corner radii appropriate to likely vehicle sizes and manoeuvres;
  • be well lit;
  • be professionally landscaped, although any planting should be kept to low ground cover only;
  • be suitably surfaced and drained;
  • Consider and complement relevant measures included in any travel plan associated with the development, for example, car- share spaces located closest to the building entrance; and

Lorry parking layouts

Image
drawing showing the suggested lorry parking layout for head-on parking and parking and loading bays

Figure 45: Lorry parking and loading bays - head-on and Lorry parking and loading bays - 45° for largest vehicles (X=Draw forward before turning distance)

Table 31: Lorry parking and loading bays 

Lorry parking and loading bays - head-on

Lorry parking and loading bays - 45° for

largest vehicles

X draw forward

Y

centres

W o/a width

L o/a length for 5

X draw forward

Y centres

W o/a width

L o/a length for 5

1

5.0

27.4

22.5

4

4.8

18.4

39.5

2

4.4

28.4

20.1

5

4.5

19.1

37.8

3

4.0

29.4

18.5

6

4.2

19.8

36.1

4

3.7

30.4

17.3

7

3.9

20.5

34.4

5

3.4

31.4

16.1

8

3.6

21.2

32.7

6

3.0

32.4

14.5

9

3.4

21.9

31.6

 

 

 

 

10

3.2

22.6

30.5

 

 

 

 

11

3.1

23.4

29.9

 

 

 

 

12

3.0

24.1

29.3

For logistics planning applications, the council may advise that overnight lorry parking and welfare facilities be provided dependent on the scale and expected use.

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Highway Development Management