§ With the right parking policies it is possible to increase densities, reduce pressures on the countryside and produce more sustainable developments. PPG3 advises that car parking standards that result, on average, in development with more than 1.5 off-street car parking spaces per dwelling are unlikely to reflect the Government's emphasis on securing sustainable residential environments. This does not mean the Government expects all dwellings in all new developments to have 1.5 parking spaces. The policy envisages an average over a local authority's area.
§ The Government accept that parking needs vary. There will be locations and housing types where significantly lower levels of off-street parking can be sought. But for family housing, and in rural locations where there is heavier reliance on the private car, higher levels of car parking may be appropriate. This is why PPG3 advises that parking polices should be framed with good design in mind, and recognise that car ownership varies with income, age, household type, and the type of housing and its location. To help the development of appropriate standards, the Government 56WS will carry out research to consider how varying levels of car parking can be achieved in ways consistent with their policy on sustainable residential environments.