Home Improvement Information Information Research

Tell a Friend about this Site

Planning Permission Tips UK - Off Road Car Parking - What Value - Do You Need to Apply for Planning


Isn't it a shame that for most folk, taking a holiday means moving en-mass with millions of other people also doing the same thing! Long journeys, loads of bodies at airports & long traffic queues in humid conditions - why do we do it?

Strange thing is, - do we ever notice any easier parking provision in our towns & cities while all these people are travelling away from home to these holiday locations? I haven't.

For a great many of us (myself included), street parking outside ones own home is getting to be a bit of a luxury these days. Those properties with well designed highway access & off road parking have a definite added value element to their homes that will be of even greater value as the years proceed.

Therefore, any property without the facility for off road car parking may be seriously less desirable in 5 years time for example. There is also a 'sustainability' element that conflicts with this desire for people to park their 4 wheel 'designer badge' off the road. I guarantee you will not see many late model Merc's BMW's or other german machinery parked in the gutter these days. Many Planners would have you believe that we are unable to sustain this level of car dependency but even if petrol went up to £10 a gallon, most people would rather starve than not put juice in the car to get us around - it's a freedom thing!

So, your property does not have any off street parking at present but has the ability to be modified to incorporate such a space or three. I can guarantee that the cost of installing such a facility for a dwelling (even if it is just one car space) will add significantly to the value & desirability of your home & is often a very easy thing to have done. The problem arises when people do this without any thought for the design, materials & if Planning Consent is required.

Generally speaking, if you live on a classified road (A, B, C, D, etc.) then you will need formal planning permission. When consent is required the Highways have a whole set of requirements for vision splays, materials, dimensions etc. that many properties are unable to comply with. So even if you could do it, you may well be prevented on road safety issues by the Highways & Planning Dept. There can be ways around this but it does involve a degree of risk that is explained within our Planning guide.

Properties on unclassified roads can have a field day as no formal Planning permission is normally required & a new access can be installed in any location. Regretfully, this has led to some very unsightly car parking spaces in small front gardens of lovely Victorian terraces for example. Generally speaking, the smaller the property & its front garden, the harder it is to design something that respects the local character.

As a guide, great attention & detailing must be placed on material selection & ancillary landscaping elements. You would be amazed just how much a car parking space can be improved visually with strategically located planting, bunding, planters, paving & curves - yes curves. The poorest quality of car parking simply uses gravel or concrete without any edge detailing or thinking as to the pedestrian access to the front or side doors when a car is actually parked - poor old posty can have one hell of a job delivering the mail at times.

So think about these issues & don't try to install an off road car parking facility on the cheap as that's exactly how your properties curb side appeal will be - cheap!.

Finding out whether or not your property is on a classified road is simply a matter of telephoning the council & asking that question. Also, please remember that you will still need to have a dropped kerb installed & this can only be completed by a contractor that is on the Highways approved list as they need a huge amount of liability insurance to dig up pavements & roads. Again, have this done correctly with the proper matching sets & materials for making good. A concrete repaired path adjoining tarmac looks awful.

If you can, always make sure that your actual parking bay area is of a min. size of 2.4M x 4.8M. You may only have a small mini but the next owner is bound to have a boring BMW that wont fit & most people who pander to these German status symbols wont change their car to fit your parking slot. Also remember that you should allow a greater width of parking bay if your have raised walling or planters for example around the bay other wise you may not get out of the car door.

Our 'Maximum Build Planning Guide' explains further the tactics involved when developing land or a site for residential use & how to give yourself the best chance of being granted a planning permission or planning approval.

http://www.planning-approval.co.uk


MORE RESOURCES:

Sydney Morning Herald

Space Shuttle Crew Home Improvement Project
KTNV Las Vegas, NV - Nov 30, 2008
The space shuttle endeavour and its seven astronauts are making their way back to earth. The shuttle undocked from the international space station Friday ...
Video: Raw Video: Shuttle Endeavour Lands in Calif. AssociatedPress
Space Shuttle Endeavour forced to make westcoast landing WCBD
Endeavour Makes a Safe Landing in California ChattahBox
MyFox Houston - MyNews.in
all 4,858 news articles


Home improvement contracts regulated
Daily American Online, PA - Nov 29, 2008
The bill will regulate written home improvement contracts and require contractors doing more than $5000 of work annually to be registered in the state. ...


Secondhand home improvement stores stock big savings
Trading Markets (press release), CA - Nov 30, 2008
The store is Stardust Building Supplies, a nonprofit organization that sells donated home improvement items at up to 80 percent off retail prices. ...


Senior Citizens Beware of Lame Home Improvement Companies
Floral Park Dispatch, NY - Nov 28, 2008
Over the past year, at least three local senior citizens have been taken advantage of by an out-of-town home improvement contractor for tens of thousands of ...


Good wallpaper can give an affordable facelift to any room
Detroit Free Press, United States - 15 hours ago
As with any home improvement project, it's best to get several estimates. Mathison says it's likely you'll be quoted a fee between $25 and $75 per roll, ...


Home improvement sometimes best left to pros
Sun-Sentinel.com, FL - Nov 28, 2008
Their column has been in syndication for 20 years, and they have written 20 home improvement books. Each week the Hamiltons will compare the cost of a ...


Ahead of the Bell: Home improvement retailers
Forbes, NY - Nov 19, 2008
The home improvement retailers are part of a sector that has "competitive dynamics, stable gross margins through the downturn, and clear cyclicality ...


Economic Downturn Sparks New Home Improvement Trend
MarketWatch - Nov 18, 2008
With the harsh reality of uncertain economic times, and the average consumer shouldering $10000 or more in credit card debt, a new trend in home improvement ...


Sector roundup: Solar, home improvement
Forbes, NY - Nov 19, 2008
CHICAGO (AP) - Shares of home improvement chains dipped Wednesday after the federal government said construction of new homes and apartments slowed at a ...


Sears Holdings Posts Loss After Sales Decline (Update2)
Bloomberg - 8 hours ago
“This is not a department store, this is not a home-improvement store. “This is a combination of the two that suffers inordinately during times of economic ...

Home-Improvement - Google News



MaineBannerExchange

home | site map
© 2006