Creation of a hard standing parking space

Appeal Decision Site visit made on 5 April 2018 by R J Maile BSc FRICS an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 20 April 2018 Appeal Ref: APP/K2230/D/17/3192475 93 Vale Road, Northfleet, Gravesend, Kent, DA11 8DB.  The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 against a refusal to grant planning permission.  The appeal is made by Mr Paul & Mrs Rosaleen James against the decision of Gravesham Borough Council.  The application ref: 20171138, dated 19 October 2017, was refused by notice dated 11 December 2017.  The development proposed is creation of a hard standing parking space. Decision 1. The appeal is dismissed. Main Issue 2. The main issue in this case is the effect of the use of the hard standing parking space upon highway safety and the free flow of traffic along Vale Road. Reasons 3. The property comprises a detached inter-war house located on an elevated site above Vale Road, which is a busy Schedule 2 classified highway (C road). The house is close to the junction of Vale Road and Thames Way (A226). There is on-street parking available on both sides of this section of Vale Road. 4. “Saved” Policy T5 of the Local Plan1 states, amongst other matters, that the formation of new accesses to the roads forming the highway network shown on the Proposals Map will not normally be permitted, except where no danger would arise and where a properly formed access can be created in a location and to a standard acceptable to the Local Planning and Highway Authorities. Furthermore, “saved” Policy P3 states that the Borough Council will expect development to make provision for vehicle parking in accordance with the Kent County Council Vehicle Parking Standards. 5. The Kent Design Guide recommends that a car parking space should have a minimum depth of 4.8m between the back edge of pavement and the front of the property. The depth of the front garden available in the subject case is approximately 2.8m, which is well below the recommended standard. 1 The Gravesham Local Plan First Review: November 1994. Appeal Decision APP/K2230/D/17/3192475 2 6. Given my comments above, any vehicle using the parking space would need to be parked parallel to the back edge of pavement. This would require additional manoeuvring, either within Vale Road or on the footway, in order to access or egress the site. Such manoeuvring would be detrimental to the safety of other road users and pedestrians and prejudicial to the free flow of traffic along this classified highway. 7. Moreover, the substantial width of the dropped kerb required to access the site would sterilise at least one kerbside parking space that would otherwise be available for other road users. 8. I therefore find upon the main issue that development as proposed would have a harmful effect upon highway safety and the free flow of traffic along Vale Road contrary to the policies of the Development Plan to which I have referred above. Other Matters 9. The grounds of appeal include photographs of other off-street parking spaces nearby, including those on either side of the subject property at 91 and 95 Vale Road. 10. In all cases, however, it would appear that there is a minimum depth of 4.8m between the back edge of pavement and the front of the properties, such that these other examples comply with the Vehicle Parking Standards set out by Kent County Council as Highway Authority. Conclusion 11. For the reasons given above, I conclude that the appeal should fail. R. J. Maile INSPECTOR