Greater Manchester Parking Standards

Explanatory Notes for Schedule of Draft Standards

1. The Greater Manchester Parking Standards have been derived from National Planning Guidance Notes PPG3 Housing and PPG13 Transport, RPG for the North West (March 2003), the National Cycling Strategy and Traffic Advice Leaflet 5/95 ‘Parking for Disabled People’. Where no standard is set out in national or regional guidance, the comments column explains the basis for the proposed Greater Manchester standard.

2. Maximum standards are applied to car parking. In some areas, Districts may find it appropriate to apply more restrictive standards for car parking, such as in the regional centre, town and district centres, and other locations well served by public transport.

3. Minimum standards are applied to car parking provision for disabled motorists, and for bicycle and motorcycle parking provision.

4. A minimum level of parking for disabled motorists is expected for smaller developments, with larger developments required to make provision that equates to at least 5% of total parking. However, Districts may find it unreasonable in some cases to insist on minimal provision for the smallest developments, such as where no other parking is provided.

5. For ease of calculation, the standards have been expressed in terms of floor space (in square metres), dwellings or rooms wherever possible.