Purpose

To seek approval to carry out a statutory
4-week consultation of the Draft SPD which once consulted will be
used as a material consideration in the determination of relevant
planning applications.

Decision

RESOLVED that
the Cabinet:

 

     
i.        
agree the content of the Draft Parking Standards
Supplementary Planning Document (Draft Parking Standards SPD)
(Appendix 1); 
 

    
ii.       
agree public consultation on the Draft Parking
Standards SPD (Appendix 1) between  Tuesday 13th
January 2026 and Tuesday 10th February 2026 as set out in
Section 8 of this report and Appendix 2; and
 

   
iii.       
delegate authority to the Executive Director: Place
in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning, Transport and
Countryside to agree any necessary minor amendments to the
Draft Parking Standards SPD prior to public
consultation.

 
 

Reasons for the decision

The current Parking Standards Supplementary Planning Document dated 2016 is
increasingly out-of-date. It refers to the old Use Classes Order
and fails to provide parking standards to serve developments such
as large Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and Suitable
Alternative Natural Greenspaces (SANGs). It also adopts an
inflexible approach which does not support the
Council’s  strategy to focus new
development in and around the town centre and encourage the use of
sustainable transport options.
 
The Parking Standards
Supplementary Planning Document Consultation Draft addresses these
issues, including by introducing  a more
flexible approach to parking provision in instances where this can
be robustly justified and supported through the provision of
sustainable transport options such as car clubs and financial
contributions toward off-site travel planning easures.

A statutory stage in the production of a SPD is
public consultation on a draft document. Therefore, an effective
consultation on the Parking Standards Supplementary Planning
Document (SPD) Consultation Draft will ensure it can be adopted and
become a material consideration in determining relevant planning
applications.
The
preparation of the SPD contributes towards the Council Plan
(2023-2027) priorities by ensuring that Bracknell town centre
continues to thrive, the local transport network provides choice in
travel and there is collective action to address and adapt to the
climate emergency.
 

Alternative options considered

The Council could opt to not
produce an SPD.  The absence of an adopted up to date SPD would make the
assessment of planning applications open to interpretation and
inconsistent with national regulations. Production of the SPD will
assist potential developers and other interested parties by
providing clarity on the Council’s expectations in how
parking provision to serve  new
developments should be provided.