Page 265 - All files for Planning Inspectorate

Wealden House, Lewes Road, Ashurst Wood, East Grinstead, RH19 3TB

2.11 The appeal site is allocated in two parts within the Neighbourhood Plan for residential uses. Policy ASW
9 relates to the former EDF use of Wealden House (this appeal site) and states that the existing access
onto Lewes Road must be used, with any appropriate modifications to accommodate predicted traffic
flows. This site is allocated for a minimum of 50 units, with residential use appropriate given the
surrounding predominance of residential development.
2.12 Policy ASW 14 addresses Design and Character and, in respect of parking, states that:

“All proposals will be expected to identify how they address the local surroundings and landscape context
by…(i) Providing off-street parking space in accordance with Policy 21…”

2.13 The remainder of Policy ASW 14 deals with the appearance and positioning of parking spaces and
garages, rather than the quantity to be provided.

2.14 Policy ASW 21 sets out the Council’s position on parking provision for new development within Ashurst
Wood, as follows:
(a) “Development proposals that generate an increased need for parking must provide adequate and
suitable off-street parking in order to minimise obstruction of the local road network in the interests
of safety of all road users including pedestrians and cyclists. In the case of residential development,
a minimum of two parking spaces will be required for units with 1-3 bedrooms and a minimum of
three spaces will be required for units of 4 or more bedrooms; unless it can be satisfactorily
demonstrated that an alternative provision would be appropriate on a specific site. Parking spaces
can take the form of spaces or garaging/car port facilities but must be permanently available for
parking use.
(b) Proposals that would reduce the existing level of off-street parking provision will be resisted unless
it can be satisfactorily demonstrated that the amount of overall provision is adequate.”
WSCC Parking Standards

2.15 County level parking standards applicable to Mid Sussex at the time of the application were contained
within the ‘WSCC Guidance for Parking in New Residential Developments’ document dated September
2010. A companion spreadsheet known as the Parking Demand Calculator (PDC) calculates the desired
quantity of parking for a given development based on tenure, habitable rooms, the number/proportion
of allocated spaces and Census car ownership data by ward. The proposed level of parking spaces (67)
was derived from the PDC.
2.16 The Planning Officer’s Report on the application, dated 19th September 2019, refers to the WSCC parking
guidance and acknowledges that WSCC raised no objections to the scheme in its capacity as Highway
Authority. It also acknowledges that the WSCC guidance and PDC were updated on 5th August 2019,
dividing wards within the county into five zones for the purposes of calculating development-related
parking provision. Furthermore, the WSCC calculator no longer differentiates between houses and flats
or between private and affordable dwellings.
2.17 When applied to the Appeal Scheme, the revised WSCC parking demand calculator suggests 90 car
parking spaces. However, upon re-consultation following publication of this revised guidance, the
Highway Officer commented that “The Transport Consultant has provided a response to the car parking
queries. The LHA would not have further points to add to the response other than the proposals meet
th
the requirements of the LHA’s parking standards. The LHA’s parking standards have changed from 5
August 2019, however given the extensive history at the site the LHA consider the standards agreed
previously would still apply.”
2.18 The Highway Officer’s comment above is a material consideration in this appeal and should be afforded
substantial weight.

Appeal Statement: Parking – December 2019
Ashgrove Homes 5
1911051/wheast
Bates No 000264