Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Sally Povolotsky.

Councillor Roz Smith substituted for Councillor Povolotsky

Report by Corporate Director – Environment and Place

The revised Parking Standards for new developments was scheduled to go before Cabinet on 20^th September 2022.  The report and supporting documentation were deferred, to be presented again at Cabinet meeting on 18^th October 2022.  The report was deferred by the Leader to ‘allow further work on targets for this very important policy as [part of the aim of reaching net zero by 2050’.  It was also agreed that the issue should go before Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to –

Review and endorse the revised Parking Standards for New Developments and make recommendations to the Cabinet as appropriate

Councillor Ian Middleton addressed the Committee, stating that in his division, houses and bungalows were often redeveloped into apartment blocks. Owing to the small footprints of such properties, which were often used as short-stay accommodation, limited onsite parking was provided, leading to residents parking indiscriminately on the highway and grass verges. Cllr Middleton supported the principle of reducing car parking; however, he advocated a holistic approach which addressed the risk of indiscriminate, displaced parking. The Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy explained that the proposed Standards would inform the development of local plans and guidance and responses by the council to planning applications.

The Chair noted that Thames Valley Police preferred on-road parking, as parking courts could become sites of antisocial behaviour.

The Cabinet Member for Travel and Development strategy introduced the report, explaining that the council’s Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP) addressed modal shift from car journeys but not car ownership; it sought to improve the convenience, and thus levels, of active travel and public transport while recognising that there would remain journeys for which cars would be most appropriate. The LTCP aimed to deliver a net-zero transport network by 2040 and a carbon positive network by 2050, to enfranchise those who do not own cars, and alleviate road congestion.

In September 2022, the Cabinet had approved ‘Decide & Provide’ under which transport planning and provision would be based on LTCP mode share targets, rather than historic trends. That, along with forthcoming workplace parking levies, would reduce the demand for parking spaces. The Standards would align development with transport trends and aspirations.

The Cabinet Member recognised that in different parts of the county and for different types of development, different levels of car use and thus parking would be necessary.

The Standards would be regularly reviewed and updated.

The Cabinet Member for Highway Management added that the adoption of the standards had been deferred as Cabinet wanted more clarity on figures relating to vehicle numbers associated with development growth.

The Chair noted that transport and housing planning had historically assumed that people lived close to work, but that was decreasingly common. Oxfordshire was the most rural county in South East England, containing a city and market towns with large conurbations, and rural hinterlands which crossed administrative boundaries. Residents would continue to need private vehicles and places to park them. Public transport services for new developments were often dependent on section 106 (Town and Country Planning Act 1990) contributions, which often ceased after three years, pushing people back into private vehicles. He identified the relationship between parking availability and car usage and the National Planning Policy requirement of clear and compelling justification for maximum parking Standards as issues for the Committee to consider.

The Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy stated that parking availability at destinations was more relevant to journey mode than availability at journey source. The Cabinet Member’s view based on experience across Oxfordshire was that parking availability at people’s homes would have little initial impact  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16/22