Development of Car and Coach Parks
Policy PT5
The Council will grant consent for proposals that will contribute to the provision of permanent or seasonal car and coach park space to meet identified needs, providing no significant impact would result on interests protected by other Local Plan policies.
4.12 Government guidance, as set out in PPG13, suggests that car parking provision should be limited in order to discourage the use of the private car. While supportive of the Government's initiative, the Council believes, as has been indicated in the introduction to this chapter, that such an approach is unrealistic in Eden since the District's population is too small and scattered to support a viable public transport system. In consequence it is considered appropriate to respond to those situations where provision of space is clearly inadequate by the identification of additional space commensurate with the observed demand. It is, for example acknowledged that there is a shortage of car parking provision in Alston which is resulting in problems of congestion and harm to the amenity of the town. The Council is committed to seeking new parking provision in order to ameliorate these problems.
4.13 With respect to Penrith, the Council has adopted an advisory strategy to meet the increasing parking needs of the town, based upon the observed growth in usage in recent years and taking into account the loss of space resulting from redevelopment. However being mindful of the need to minimise the use of private cars, parking provision and requirements are being reassessed continually. In planning the provision of additional space, the Council will take account of the special needs of particular users including the security of cycles and motorcycles.
4.14 Substantial additional parking demand may arise in settlements such as Alston, Appleby, Kirkby Stephen and Penrith during the summer months when local demand is added to by tourist needs. Congestion resulting from tourism can also be reduced through the provision of facilities such as scenic lay-bys, coach parks and park-and-ride schemes. The situation in the District's principal settlements and elsewhere in relation to tourist traffic will be monitored and consideration given to resolving problems as and when they become apparent.
Parking Provision
Policy PT6
Development and redevelopment schemes will be required to incorporate adequate parking provision including appropriate provision to meet the requirements of people with special needs.
4.15 The Council will refer to the advisory guidance set out in "Parking Guidelines in Cumbria" (currently been reviewed) when assessing the adequacy of proposed provision and will expect proposals to incorporate provision to the suggested relevant standards.
4.16 There are many locations both within the principal settlements and smaller villages and hamlets where an increase in on-street parking would result in an unacceptable increase in congestion or impact on visual amenity because of high existing levels of on-street parking, the narrow width of roads and lanes or the character of the area concerned. The parking policies are designed to control any such unwarranted increase.
