Part One: Spatial Strategy and Policies (Regulation 19)
Parking Management
16.52. The management of car parking has a key role in reducing the number and impact of vehicle trips, which in turn can lead to improvements in air quality and a reduction in carbon emissions.
Policy DLP73 Parking Management Comment
- The priorities for traffic management in the Dudley Borough include the sustainable delivery and management of parking in centres and beyond, through use of some or all of the following measures as appropriate:
- the management and control of parking.
- the type of parking – ensuring that where appropriate long-stay parking is managed and minimised in town centres, to support parking for leisure and retail customers and to encourage commuters to use more sustainable means and reduce peak hour traffic flows.
- maximum parking standards – ensuring that a consistent approach to maximum parking standards is enforced in new developments as set out in local planning guidance.
- the location of parking – by reviewing the location of town centre car parks through the "Network Management Duty", to ensure that the flow of traffic around town centres is as efficient as possible.
Justification
16.53. The correct balance needs to be found between managing and pricing parking to maximise the use of sustainable travel means to enter town centres, whilst avoiding restricting parking to the extent that consumers are dissuaded from using town centres and deterring new development.
16.54. The control of and management of parking in centres will require a variety of approaches, recognising that not all publicly available car parking is in local authority control or management. The use of planning conditions to ensure that new public parking is managed appropriately will therefore be an important aspect of this policy. Furthermore, proposals that use up to date technology regarding parking and payment will be welcomed.
16.55. The continued adoption of maximum parking standards for all but residential development is considered to be an important tool in managing demand for single occupancy vehicle trips and journeys to centres and major employment destinations, leisure and other facilities.
16.56. Reduced levels of long-stay car parking in centres will enable more efficient use of land.
Evidence
- Black Country Parking Study (BCA, 2021)
Delivery
- This policy will be delivered through the Council's network management duty and parking management policies.
- The management of new privately owned and operated public car parks will be controlled through Parking Management Plans via planning conditions or planning obligations through the Development Management process.
