Policy instruments (3) - Transport Policy and Planning in Great Britain - page 237

all authorities to plan on the basis of an a verage of 1.5 spaces per dwelling within
their areas. This carried no acknowledgement of the widely different circumstances
(from cities to rural districts) to which this would supposedly be applied. In practice
many authorities had little appetite to pursue this objective in situations where it
represented sub-demand levels. Except in inner urban areas covered by controlled
parking zones, restricting parking provision in this way would only provoke problems
of overspill parking in surrounding streets (White 2006).
Research was commissioned to provide evidence for a more sophisticated
methodology based on a range of criteria (WSP Ltd 2007) but ran into ministerial
objections on the principle of 'dictating' standards (LTT 432). The issue was neatly
bypassed in 2006 by simply removing any reference to numerical standards in revised
guidance. Indeed the bland statement included on parking was conspicuous for
omitting transport considerations altogether, despite the ostensible over-arching
objective of 'creating sustainable communities':
Local Planning Authorities should, with stakeholders and communities, develop
residential parking policies for their areas, taking account of expected levels of
car ownership, the importance of promoting good design and the need to use land
efficiently.
(DCLG 2006b para 51)