Comment

Representation ID: 222

Received: 05/01/2024

Respondent: Dennis R Whittaker

Paragraph c. "A reduction in the level of parking against the standards normally required for residential development may be considered applicable, where the site is evidenced as being within a 400m walking distance of public transport."
I most strongly object to any reduction whatsoever of required Car Parking provision in Town Centres - or anywhere else.
The 2021 Census shows that 79.5% of Households in Dudley Borough have one Car or more and only 20.5% have none.
Government Statistics for England show that as of 2021, 77% of people 17 year old and over had a full Driving License.
UK Year to November 2023 New Car Sales was 1.8 Million - an increase of 18.6% on the same period in 2022. Electric and Hybrid Cars saw the greatest increase at 27.3%.
Used Car Sales have increased by 4.5% over the same period.
Anyone who can drive and afford to run a Car will do so. I learnt to drive because I got fed up with waiting, often in the cold and rain, for Buses that didn't show up and took ages to get from A to B.
The Car is here to stay. If adequate Car Parking is not provided in Town Centres, people with reasonable incomes will not want to live there and the Centres will become Ghettos for poor people rather than the diverse vibrant communities to which the OLP aspires.

Comment

Representation ID: 468

Received: 19/01/2024

Respondent: CPRE Worcestershire

WM CPRE generally supports this policy approach to residential housing in centres. However, as well as considering adverse impacts which need avoiding, the policy should stress the potential sustainability of such sites and the role they can play in supporting the viability and vitality of a centre.