A CHANGE in the policy on how many parking spaces developers have to provide for newly-built or converted houses and flats in Swindon has brought a mixed reaction.

The borough council’s planning committee will debate the authority’s new draft standards before voting on whether to adopt them at a meeting tomorrow.

As part of the process for updating the standards, a public consultation was held between July and September. The responses have been published for the use of the committee members.

Some of the ideas in the new standards – such as no parking being needed for new homes or converted in the town centre and Old Town – are controversial.

One response read: “All properties should have equal requirement for parking spaces. Otherwise multi-occupancies are open to issues. The new estates have attracted young families with the additional buying assistance. Most of these houses come with one or two spaces and no additional street parking – what happens when their children grow and get cars?

“In Old Town you have the NHS at Clarendon House telling staff to park in visitors’ bays for two hours or on the Mall or Goddard Avenue, forcing those residents to then park on kerbs.”

Another wrote: “All housing should be provided with off-road parking to ease congestion. No new housing should be allowed which cannot provide this as it will put the burden onto neighbouring streets which are already congested.”

A third said: “Until there is a decent affordable, reliable and convenient public transport network, all new flats and houses must be awarded parking opportunities whether that be with a permit or a designated space. Otherwise people with disabilities, children, businesses etc will have nowhere to park.”

Residents' parking zones and a policy which says new houses of multiple occupation should be required to provide parking depending on the number of rooms were also criticised.

One resident said: “The council should not be allowed to issue more residents' parking permits than there are available parking spaces, it simply encourages residents to park inappropriately on pavements, on double yellow lines and double-park, blocking in alleyways.

“Rather than allow existing properties two permits and none for newly-constructed properties, the council should only issue the number of permits that match the number of spaces available, allowing for 10 per cent or so for visitor permits, and then set up a waiting list for others wanting a permit.”

One person who lives in an HMO wrote: “They are not single dwellings and treating the residents' parking requirements as such is nonsensical. I’m a resident of one along with three other individuals and we all own a vehicle, but the property provides no parking provision.

"There is already inadequate parking availability and further properties being converted to HMOs will only exacerbate that situation if the developers cannot provide some parking for their residents. Despite the desire for transport links to minimise the car requirements, it is in every way an inferior option in Swindon so almost everyone aspires to car ownership."

One of the draft guide’s new standards is that parking spaces should increase in size.

But one respondent wrote: “People should not be encouraged to buy bigger and bigger vehicles, such as SUVs which are generally worse in terms of pollution and more dangerous to vulnerable road users. There is enough public space taken up by private vehicles, this should not be further exacerbated by an increase in space provided to polluting motor vehicles.”

And there seemed little sympathy for those who need extra help.

The council’s new policy suggests mandating spaces for mobility scooters but one person wrote: “They should park in their garden or garage. Why should they get preferential treatment?”

The planning committee meets at 6pm tonight. The full draft parking standards policy is available from the meetings calendar on swindon.gov.uk