Barrett Byrd Associates

New parking guidelines to be launched by IHT this summer will give practitioners developing parking strategies a clear benchmark as to what constitutes good policy and practice. These were the sentiments of Sheila Holden OBE, who is chair of the IHT steering group developing the Institution’s new Parking Strategies & Management guidelines.

Ms Holden was speaking at the British Parking Association’s annual spring seminar in London, where over 100 delegates listened to the latest developments in parking provision and management.

“Our guidelines will attempt to marry together parking policy and practice and provide a good source of material for practitioners involved in parking,” she said.

The need for adequate provision of off street parking so as not to interfere with the efficiency of traffic flow was outlined by consultant Tim Pharoah, who is the managing editor of IHT’s new guidelines. He also stressed the need for adequate provision of residential parking and the importance of effective management of spaces that are in short supply.

Keith Gardner, a member of the IHT guidelines project team and Transport for London’s Head of Strategy for London Buses talked about workplace parking levies and the importance of well thought out travel plans. West Sussex County Council’s Mike Link then emphasised that parking strategies need widespread support in practice as well as in principle and said that good signing can make a parking scheme more successful.

Home Office Minister Bob Ainsworth MP said that parking strategies can play an important role in managing traffic, especially when coupled with better transport provision such as park and ride that can help to reduce congestion.

He warned that parking strategies would achieve little if not properly enforced and welcomed the trend towards decriminalised parking, which can allow police resources to be put to better use elsewhere.

Peter Guest of consultant Hill Cannon talked about the role consultant’s can play in developing parking strategies and Mike Slinn, Chairman of the IHT’s Transport Policy Board said that local parking policies must be consistent with regional parking policies.

Other speakers included Stephen Joseph of Transport 2000 and Phil Robinson of NCP.

The seminar was drawn to a close by the BPA Vice President Alan Clark, who thanked the speakers and delegates and the IHT’s President Ronnie Porter for chairing the afternoon session.

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