Eric Pickles has revealed plans that could force councils to provide more parking spaces alongside newly built homes.
The announcement came just months after the communities secretary confirmed reforms to local authority parking policies - including banning CCTV enforcement ‘spy cars’ and introducing grace periods for motorists who outstay their tickets - would be included in the Deregulation Bill.
Action could now be taken to reign in ‘maximum parking standards’ used by town halls to gauge local demand for parking. However minimum requirements will remain unchanged.
‘No space at home leaves no space on the road. We need to cease this vicious cycle that leaves our streets endlessly clogged-up,’ Pickles said.
‘Allowing the market to offer enough parking spaces will help take the pressure off our congested roads.’
The Government warned local authorities that insufficient local parking spaces would result in residents either tarmacking over their front garden or leaving their vehicles on the street.
‘Families want a home with space for children to play in the garden and somewhere to park and load the car or cars,’ Pickles added.
‘The consequences of not building this are there for all to see: more cars left on the curb, more cars parked in the streets, more municipal parking restrictions and more parking tickets.’
The Department for Communities and Local Government has put its reforms out to consultation, which will close on 26 September.
