Bath & North East Somerset Local Plan Revised Deposit 2003

Chapter D10. Car Parking

D10.1 It is recognised that the availability of a parking space - and its cost - are major factors in determining whether people will use their car. The Council's parking strategy which was drawn up in 1998 and has since been incorporated into the Local Transport Plan therefore plays a major part in its efforts to reduce traffic levels. At the heart of the strategy, in respect of Bath, is the policy of reducing long stay parking provision in the City centre to deter commuter parking whilst maintaining adequate provision for shoppers and other shorter stay visitors. This policy will be implemented in progressive stages in tandem with the provision of alternative facilities in the form of additional park and ride and public transport. There will, however, be continued provision for those who have a valid need for long-stay off-street parking in the City centre including tourists unfamiliar with the park and ride system or staying in City centre hotels.

D10.2 The first purpose built park and ride site was opened at Newbridge in 1986 and this site together with those at Lansdown and Odd Down provide over 2,000 spaces. A further 600 spaces are currently available on Saturdays at the University. There is little doubt that the successful operation of these sites contributed towards a 5% reduction in traffic entering the centre of Bath during the 1990's compared with a rise of 13% at the City boundary and an increase in traffic of around 20% nationally over the same period.

Table 10 - Existing Park and Ride Site Capacities

D10.3 The Council is keen to complete the ring of sites expand its provision of Park and Ride facilities with its Lambridge proposal on the north-eastern edge of the City.  This will provide nearly 800 more spaces and intercept traffic from the A4 and A46. The site was safeguarded in the 1990 and 1997 Bath Local Plans and it has been the subject of recent studies which have confirmed that it is the best site to serve this approach to Bath .  To implement the Park and Ride facility, the Council will need to acquire the site and secure provision for the existing sports pitches and facilities.

D10.4 Other proposals which may be implemented during the Plan period are an extension to the Odd Down site, the provision of an all-week site to serve the A36 and a much needed additional site in the Newbridge area.  The latter, which will serve the Western Riverside regeneration area as well as the City centre, the link being hopefully provided by some form of rapid transit (see paras D6.1-D6.3, D7.1, Policy T.12 and the development requirements for site B1A under Policy GDS.1 5.27 and Policy T12).  Outside Bath there is the prospect of an additional site for Bristol adjacent to the A37 and smaller car parks to support existing inter-urban bus services.  All these proposals will be evaluated using the criteria set out in Policy T22.  Any proposals for development within the Green Belt will have to comply with Policy GB.1A and the guidance about assessment of alternative sites in para C1.29A.  Whilst the prime function of the existing Park and Ride sites is to serve Bath City centre, the Council may agree to other links being provided if spare capacity is available.  Wessex Water provides a link between Odd Down Park and Ride and their HQ at Claverton Down and a park and ride service from Odd Down to the Royal United Hospital via Twerton has also commenced.

D10.5 Although park and ride is such a key element of the Council's parking strategy for Bath it is acknowledged that all the District's shopping centres are reliant on a supply of short stay parking to maintain their vitality and viability. In Bath City centre this supply will be strictly monitored to ensure that even though redevelopment may provide additional shopping floorspace any additional short stay off-street spaces are obtained at the expense of long stay spaces and there is no appreciable increase in the current 3,400 off-street space supply. It is planned to discontinue a substantial number of on-street spaces and close the Saw Close and Broad Street car parks whilst still maintaining provision for disabled drivers.

D10.6 In the residential areas that immediately adjoin the City centre the policy is to reserve a substantial proportion of the on-street spaces for residents in order to encourage the use of public transport and park and ride by commuters. This policy has been extensively implemented and some 1,400 long-stay parking spaces are no longer available for commuters. Some of the displaced parking has inevitably transferred to the City centre, underlining the need to give priority to short-stay parkers there. Some has moved further out and the need to safeguard residents' interests in these areas is fully appreciated.

D10.7 Any development proposal which would involve the loss of parking which serves a shopping area will be carefully examined to determine whether it would affect trade adversely. Conversely any increase in parking for shoppers will only be approved if need can be substantiated and if the environmental impact will on balance be positive. Smaller scale changes to the parking and servicing provision for any commercial premises will be evaluated in a similar way.

D10.8 The Council will seek funding for its parking strategy by way of planning obligations. The level of contributions will be based on forecast traffic generation rather than floorspace. Parking standards are dealt with in the final section of this chapter.

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