For small parcels of land, finding adequate space for car parking and achieving development goals can be a challenge.
Luckily, the modern trend towards encouraging sustainable transport is on your side, and it's a win-win for everyone.
While car parks have long been a staple of urban planning, their environmental, economic, and social impacts are leading their prevalence to be reconsidered. As we move towards a more sustainable future, reducing car parks is becoming a logical step in creating greener, healthier, and more efficient urban environments!
At Quantum Traffic, we are often called upon to give expert evidence to the tribunal on behalf of our clients seeking a car park reduction. Recently, we prepared expert evidence in just such a situation for a small commercial development in Melbourne's outer eastern suburb, Bayswater.
The Problem
The critical element of the proposal was that there was inadequate provision of car parking.
Whilst the statutory requirements stipulated a rate of 3.0 car spaces per 100m2 of office, and 3.5 car spaces for 100m2 of retail floor space, the proposed development was approved with just 1.0 car space per 100m2 floor space for each land use.
Given the size of the land, the three-fold increase in the statutory car parking required compared to what was approved was unsustainable.
How Did Sustainability Principles Help the Case?
The justification for having just a third of the required number car parking spaces was the presence of good council car parking in the vicinity. Furthermore, because the development was in an activity centre, there was convenient access to more sustainable modes of transport to and from the site.
Activity centres such as Bayswater are suburban shopping precincts central to Melbourne's planned growth, as outlined in Plan Melbourne 2017-2050.
To become a more sustainable city, activity centres should be easily accessible by public transport, reducing the need for cars. An activity centre's accessibility gives staff, residents and visitors the practical option of taking public transport to the site instead of driving. And due to the nature of an activity centre, people that live and work in the area do not need a car to access nearby supermarkets, pharmacies, cafes and restaurants.
Also helping our case was the presence of complementary land uses. When you are looking at developments in an activity centre as a whole, it's essential to consider the many of the different surrounding land uses, not just one particular development.
Combine all this with the fact that there was adequate council parking nearby, we found it was reasonable to have a lower car parking provision than what was statutorily required.
In line with Melbourne's plans for creating a more sustainable city, offices are a particular development where we would like to see the reduction in car parking provision over time as transport infrastructure improves. As traffic to and from offices has the most significant impact on our arterial road network, if we can start to make a shift towards sustainable transport modes, we will see a welcome easing of congestion.
The Result – A Car Parking Reduction Win
In this case, we received a decision on the spot, an unusual outcome for a tribunal hearing. The tribunal member was satisfied that the surrounding car park resources could easily accommodate additional parking from the development. Our expert evidence set aside council’s decision to refuse the application and granted the developer a permit without conditions of extra car parking.
Now, they can decide to build the development or sell the site with a permit attached. Either way, the development's value got a welcome boost!
Does your development have a case for a car parking reduction?
If you think your development or commercial project aligns with broader urban planning trends and supports local sustainability goals, there may be a compelling case for a car parking reduction. e
Let us know - we are happy to help with expert evidence. We have helped many clients just like you find a satisfactory car parking solution.
Get in contact with Quantum Traffic today and let's get the most out of your development.
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