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Parking and Planning

Sat, 2008-10-18 22:35 — Ian Quick

Theoretically, when some applies for a planning permit for a new or changing development, they have to provide adequate parking.

There are provisions in the State Planning Framework, and the Council have a local 'town planning parking policy', which both provide formulas for how many spaces should be provided.

The problem is

  1. Like most things in the Victorian Planning (non) System, the numbers are only a guideline, not mandatory.
  2. Any access to public transport is deemed to be an acceptable reason not to provide parking.
  3. Not providing parking spaces is seen to discourage people using cars
  4. VCAT refuses to reject permits based on parking pressures around the development - sometimes they say that the street is so crowded it won't make any difference, at other times they will conclude that the street is empty enough to fit the cars from the development.

As a result many developments do not provide sufficient parking.

If you want to know much more about Parking and Planning, read the paper that I've been sending to Council since August 2003 - and apart from one issue we have had no progress or interest from Councilors..

You also might be interested in my one page 'evaluation list ' I made to assess an 'expert' parking report that is normally attached to a planning permit to justify the exemption. I call it my 'dodgy report evaluation' form'.