5 steps to ... improving local car parking

Kate Allen, Regeneration & Renewal, 14 December 2007

Phil Hepburn, parking services manager at Hartlepool Borough Council, which recently revised its parking systems, also suggests "larger bays for disabled drivers, and a taxi drop-off point in shopping areas".

2. Address safety concerns. Integrate the parking area with its surroundings to provide views over the area from walkways and buildings. Trade body the British Parking Association runs a safer parking accreditation scheme that includes police risk assessments. BPA chief executive Keith Banbury says that carrying out and acting on such assessments will create more reassuring environments for drivers.

3. Use design to reduce parking problems. "Planning wider streets can deter motorists from parking on pavements, while home zones (with lower speed limits) can mingle parking with landscaping and public spaces," says Trevor Beattie, corporate strategy director of national regeneration agency English Partnerships, which has published a parking design toolkit.

4. Deter commuters. "By avoiding commuter parking on residential streets, councils can improve safety and reduce vehicle noise and emissions," says Kevin Almond, traffic safety policy manager at Lancashire County Council. Almond says the council uses residents' parking permits, but he warns that their introduction can encourage people to pave over their front gardens to create off-street parking.

5. Build public support for parking controls. Lancashire County Council used leaflets, posters and a radio campaign to do this, says Almond. Afterwards, he says, "the number of people strongly agreeing with the statement 'poor parking affects everyone' increased from 18 per cent to 80 per cent".

- More information The EP toolkit is available from www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/PublicationsOrderForm.aspx. The BPA's accreditation scheme is at www.saferparking.com.