Developer fudged plans to get planning permission

silvercar

I'm having visions of 4x4 drivers reversing onto places designed for mini coopers. Mr Bean comes along and tips his car at an angle so only two wheels rest on the ground and the car is half suspended in mid-air; he gives a satisfied nod and trundles off into his house.

Debt_Free_Chick

chickenfeed wrote: »

The developed re-submitted revised plans with MORE car parking spaces. These new car spaces did not meet the minimum required space per car (fudged). But they did meet the number of spaces Y. :mad:

I've not heard of a minimum size for a parking space - where does this come from?

Edit: Actually, a quick Google suggests that the Planning Authority (Council), itself, may have a planning policy that sets the minimum size for each space. Which Council is this?

The planners will only be concerned about the number of parking spaces - although each space ought to be physically capable of accommodating a vehicle, so a space 1ft x 1ft is clearly not a parking space.

Also, plans generally do not specify the size of each parking space - they just show the spaces to be allocated.

marybishop

Chickenfeed - why not ring your local council and just ask a general question about minimum size for parking spaces, then you'll know if you've got some grounds to go further with this. Like DFC says a space has got to be of a size capable of parking in so if the developer has just painted white lines to get the right number of spaces but they're all too small then what use is that! And who knows what else they've skimped on!!

Throbbe

Doozergirl wrote: »

Out of interest, what is the minimum requirement for the space of a parking space?

Generally 4.8m x 2.4m, although I believe that this is guidance rather than an absolute standard. Many local authorities have their own standards for such things. For example http://www.swindon.gov.uk/parking_standards.pdf

*gets hi-vis coat*

Edit: that's standard 'end on' spaces. Spaces that run alongside the road are a bit longer I believe, and if they're angled it different again. I haven't checked, but try googling Manual for Streets. It's a free download and the new national guidance for urban highway design.

silvercar

I wonder if there are different rules (or none) for private parking areas as opposed to street parking or car parks. For the latter you want people to be able to move in and out fairly quickly so as not to block up streets. Also there may be more leeway on a private road than on an adopted highway.

I too tried to google and only found the 4.8m x 2.4m for car parks.

Throbbe

Sorry, bad example. Local authorities tend to have design guidelines for estate roads, which covers housing developments and the like. Highways officers are consulted on planning applications and would be likely to object if these were not followed.

I suppose that your case of an unadopted road does raise the question of whether any restriction applies, but the housing still needs planning consent, and in my experience (5 or so years as a transport planning consultant to a number of developers) developers tend to avoid unadopted access (other than small accesses to half a dozen houses or so) as it makes housing less attractive to buyers.

Parking is also a requirement for most buyers, so unless the developer can shift the whole development off the plans, the OP can rest assured they'll struggle to get full price when potential buyers turn up to see cars parked all over the verges because the spaces are too small to use.

silvercar

Lets say that a complaint to the council leads to the council informing the developer to sort out the problem.

The houses are built and presumably sold in some cases. If the parking spaces are too narrow the developer will need to find land to widen them. Either he will remove pavements in certain places or encroach on gardens of unsold plots. If he doesn't pursue one of those options I can't see what else he could do; maybe remove a bins storage area?

Consider if these things suit you, before complaining.

If none of those things are possible he is going to have to apply to the council to amend the original planning permission to provide fewer spaces. He may need to offer the council a sweetner to do this eg install improved raod access nearby or plant hedgerows. One way or another he will be granted planning approval, the council are not going to order him to knock down the houses!

peter999

silvercar wrote: »

Consider if these things suit you, before complaining.

..and the other residents.

peter999

chickenfeed

The LPA had the following as a minimum when this building got planning permission: 5 metres x 2.4 metres.

In the years that followed it has now risen to 5.5 metres.

I'm surprised the width has not been increased over the years to accomodate 4x4's.

The developer has squeezed in the minimum number of spaces for the development of flats. The land is within it's own courtyard, and I can't see how they can magically make the spaces bigger, and still have the same layout of the flats. There's no room/garden/grass area to grab any more land.

Debt_Free_Chick

chickenfeed wrote: »

The LPA had the following as a minimum when this building got planning permission: 5 metres x 2.4 metres.

And is this a recommendation or guideline - or a specific planning policy in the LDF?