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Parking and Traffic Problems in Romsey - a multi-storey solution? Geoff Morris 2000 |
Government policy on car use
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Section 3: Government policy on car use and car parks
3.1 - There would be little point in proposing a new car park in Romsey simply to accommodate yet more cars; Government policy is firmly against it. However, what is proposed in this report is a rationalisation of existing car parking so as to improve the town environment by reducing traffic in the town and by freeing up existing car parks for uses which would increase interest and diversity in the town. A modest increase in overall parking is also proposed and justified in section 2 on page 5.
3.2 - In the national government planning guidance note, PPG 13(ref 19), revised in autumn 1999, one of the major objectives is to reduce the need to travel, especially by car. In section 5, ‘Main Planning Policies’, it is recommended that local government "use parking policy to promote sustainable transport choices and reduce reliance on the car for work and other journeys". This is reflected in the Southampton Area Transport Strategy (SATS) document which also covers Romsey and was written in conjunction with TVBC. In Southampton and other centres the intention is to reduce long-stay car parking which is to be compensated for by the introduction of ‘park and ride’. This possibility is considered in the Romsey Movement and Access study (ref 20) and considered impractical because Romsey is too small.
3.3 - However, for Romsey (and other town centres such as Totton and Eastleigh) the SATS report states; "conditions need to be created to enhance accessibility and to reduce the need to travel farther afield for services". Additionally, another government planning document, PPG 6, makes it clear that good quality parking is important "to maintain the vitality and viability of town centres in enabling retail and leisure uses to flourish".
3.4 - Will the Government's plan to decrease car usage by improved public transport solve the traffic and parking problems in Romsey over the next decade or so? In the Hampshire Local Transport Plan (2000-2005) (ref 21) the target is to "increase the use of public transport by 25% by 2020". This is a very modest increase on a small base since the majority of journeys are presently undertaken by car. But car ownership is estimated to increase by 25% over the next 10 years - half the time that the same improvement in public transport is targeted. Hence it seems unlikely that improved public transport will have any significant impact on traffic and parking problems over the next 20 years.
3.5 - Specific aims in SATS which apply to town centres are to:
3.6 - In the TVBC Borough Local Plan Review it is noted (ref 19) that discouraging the use of the car by restricting parking "is only partially realistic in the case of Southern Test Valley" and that its application would drive trade away from Romsey.
3.7 - On the subject of pedestrians and cars in the town centres, government policy is quite clear; PPG 13 (para 46) states "within town centres...... priority should be given to people over traffic". In the TVBC Draft Economic Development Strategy for 2000/2005: "the key to the continued economic prosperity of the Romsey area is the safeguarding of its environmental qualities as an attractive place to live and work".
The conclusion from this section is that whilst national government is rightly discouraging the use of the car in favour of public transport and is opposed to increased parking; local government generally takes a more pragmatic view of the situation in Southern Test Valley towns - perhaps because of their rural location. It is significant that the proposals made in this report are in line with all four of the specific aims of SATS which is the definitive document setting out local government policy for transport in this area
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