CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION
The supply of off-street parking facilities in the City Centre is provided on a short-stay basis to meet the objectives of:
These objectives support the aims of the City Centre Millennium Plan. The public off-street parking supply, therefore, will assist the Council to maximise the environmental and economic benefits to the City Centre.
To ensure that parking tariffs are effective in restraining private car commuting and long-stay parking, parking charges will be set to favour short stay use for short time intervals, and will be subject to the approval of the Council.
Existing planning consents and proposals could add a further 3,867 spaces to the current supply of 9,152 spaces (13,014 including permanent on-street car parking) - see map. The current and projected supply is, for the time being, sufficient to support the strategic and commercial functions of the City Centre. Provision beyond the projected figure would result in an oversupply of permanent public parking spaces with consequences of increased traffic congestion and reduced environmental quality.
To ensure that future public parking provision serves the shopper and business visitor, any permanent public parking facilities should be conveniently located.
POLICY
Any new proposals for permanent public parking spaces will be considered within the context of an integrated approach to transport and land use and will be subject to the following guidelines:
1. Additional permanent public parking will be limited to those proposals identified on the map; Public Parking Supply.
2. Exceptions may only be acceptable as a replacement for an:
identified proposal that has been dropped; or
existing permanent public car park that is removed from the supply.
3. Proposals should be conveniently located for shoppers and business visitors and no more than five minutes walk from the Principal Retail Area. They will have to meet the following traffic criteria:
no queuing on road; and
no disruption to public transport.
4. Permanent public parking facilities on the edge of the City Centre will not be supported.
5. Parking tariffs should be fully price-differentiated and will require to be submitted with the development proposal for the approval of the Council.
Note:
An operating licence is required for a permanent public car park.
Public Parking Supply at 2000