Wednesday, 23 November 2022

Consultation – Draft Parking Standards for New Developments Supplementary Planning Document - 071122 SC - keep Ampthill Parkway Station 'alive'!

Consultation – Draft Parking Standards for New Developments Supplementary Planning Document - 071122 SC

Good afternoon,
 
We are writing to inform you that an eight-week consultation on the Parking Standards for New Developments Supplementary Planning Document will begin at 10am on Tuesday 8th November 2022, with the deadline for comments being 10am on Thursday 5th January 2023.
 
Background
A well planned and managed approach to parking can help make our local communities better places to live, work and visit whilst helping deliver our commitment to tackling climate change. One of the ways in which we can make a positive difference is through effective parking provision for all vehicle types in new developments. We want to encourage more walking and cycling for shorter journeys, and for longer journeys encourage more sustainable options such as using public transport. Ensuring that routes are attractive and useable for pedestrians and cyclists is key to achieving this.  Providing sufficient parking for all types of vehicles so that parked vehicles do not dominate the street scene or prevent access for pedestrians and cyclists is therefore very important.
 
Parking Standards for New Developments is a new Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which builds upon the parking related policies adopted in the Local Plan. The document covers cycle parking, car parking, disabled parking, powered two-wheeler parking and operational parking requirements. It sets out the number of parking spaces required for new developments in both residential and commercial settings. The document brings together several existing standards into one document. Detail is provided on the types of parking that the Council wants developers to provide and the types of parking that have proven to be less successful and will therefore not be accepted.
 
Details of the Consultation
An electronic copy of the draft document and details of how to respond to the consultation will be available to view on the Consultations page of our website, once the consultation begins on the 8th November at 10am.
 
Alternatively, a printed copy of the draft document can be viewed at every library in Central Bedfordshire, during their usual opening hours. Written responses can be sent to:
 
Strategic Transport, C/O Strategic Growth
Central Bedfordshire Council
Priory House, Monks Walk
Chicksands, Shefford
Bedfordshire, SG17 5TQ
 
Kind regards,
 
Strategic Transport Team
 
Central Bedfordshire Council, Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands , Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5TQ
Direct Dial 0300 300 8860 -  Internal 78860 – Email – Strategic.Transport@centralBedfordshire.gov.uk
 
Please engage and wade in and support us where you feel you may: 
Dear Colleagues,
 
ERTA main interest is regarding protection of lands and an incremental progression to fostering a new Railway Station alias Ampthill Parkway Station. This would help mop up traffic and parking issues emanating from developments across a wider geographic area upwards of 70, 000 population plus the feed off the M1 via A507 to Flitwick. The configuration of roads at Flitwick with a triple stack car park does not lend to easy road spill proliferation and congestion, hazards and delays are likely amidst the chaos of turning out and commuting growth to. Wixams will deal with populations imminent and north of including parts of North Bedfordshire via bypasses, so all at and south of Wixams including the extensive Marston Vale, in bids to get rail to London will commute south - landing at Flitwick. Ampthill could share the load and more evenly distribute the growth in the Central Beds area as well as regenerate and inform sustainable footfall, spend and cycling/walking options in and around Ampthill as a place in its own right. Not all have or want to be tied to cars and parking with no spare land is an acute issue only to be exacerbated in coming years. Elsewhere, reviewing parking at local stations on Marston Vale, East Bedfordshire is also worth bearing in mind and avoiding parking on verges west of Arlesey Station should be avoided. Developing is sprawling fast and so we need a commitment to protect lands and work with us to nurture the ground-level conditions for an Ampthill Parkway Station. In leisure terms, the scope is Wrest Park to the East and Woburn to the West and all in between. Better cycle provision for central Flitwick to/from central Ampthill should be looked at. Our ERTA Ampthill-Flitwick Transport Forum is open to all to discuss these things - see our website for details: https://ertarail.co.uk/events/ We do need a greater appreciation of these things in general, not just specific development related. Unless we protect lands west of the Midland Main Line and adopt policies to negotiate relocation packages to the east of Midland Main Line north of Froghall Road, east of Fordfield Road and West of A507 - keeping accesses 'open', we throw away any Flitwick relief, growth absorption and compound issues, not ameliorate them. Thank you.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Richard Pill

ERTA Chairman

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