Car free developments

Background

Throughout  the UK and particularly in London, relentlessly rising congestion levels have been impacting on the quality of life. Car free developments are a direct and innovative response to the challenge of a sustainable transport future.

Often designed in conjunction with other congestion reducing measures (e.g. car clubs, lift share schemes etc) car free housing developments have recently increased substantially and the schemes are managed in various ways.

Local authorities and other planning bodies are directly contributing to this process through a range of incentives to developers. These include use of section 106 planning legislation. This facilitates the granting of planning consent when new developments include car free or low car provision.

The Council's 'car free homes'  planning policy was introduced in Tower Hamlets in the late 1990s to help reduce traffic congestion and better manage the limited supply of on-street parking spaces. This initiative also helps to reduce the level of air pollution from motor vehicles and encourages more people to walk, cycle and go by public transport.   

Car free development agreement made under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990

If your property is subject to a Car Free Development agreement made under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 you will not normally be able to apply for any type of on-street parking permit and only limited scratchcards, unless you are the holder of a disabled person’s (blue) badge issued under Section 21 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Person’s Act 1970, or if you meet the eligibility criteria as a social housing decantee.

It is the responsibility of your solicitor or landlord to advise you of this agreement before you purchase or rent the property.

What the council has decided to do

We have listened to the problems and issues raised by our residents, and offer the following parking assistance to those who live in a car free development:

1. A temporary resident permit to allow a contractor (such as a builder, electrician or plumber) to carry out work on the property at a cost of £5 a day. To qualify you must provide written proof of the work to be carried out and the vehicle details. You can only have a maximum of 20 days in a rolling 6 month period.
2. Maximum of three books of visitor scratchcards in a rolling 12 month.
3. The Mayor of Tower Hamlets introduced the new Permit Transfer Scheme (PTS) to operate from 05 September 2011 to help to reduce the levels of overcrowding in social rented housing in the borough. The PTS helps some families move to larger social rented car free homes by allowing them to retain one on-street resident car parking permit, subject to the PTS criteria outlined below. The PTS is a change in the operation of the Council’s existing on-street Residents’ Parking Permit Scheme.

The criteria for the PTS is as follows:

1. targeted at social rented housing residents moving to car free homes
2. applies to residents moving to 3+ bedroom social rented car free homes
3. 1 x on-street resident parking permit per household
4. parking permit must have been held for at least 1 year prior to moving home
5. parking permit must be renewed and not lapse to remain eligible under the scheme
6. it will be the responsibility of the social rented housing tenant to provide proof that they are eligible under the scheme for a permit to Parking Services (in the form of a duly signed, and dated,THH or RSL social rented housing approved tenancy agreement)
7. the scheme applies from the date of introduction (05 September 2011) by Tower Hamlets Council’s Parking Services and is not  retrospective.

For more information on Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 go to: www.carfreehousing.org/index.html

Permit fraud

Tower Hamlets Council wishes to prevent fraudulent applications. If you know of or suspect parking permit fraud, call 020 7364 6945 or email us on parking.fraud@towerhamlets.gov.uk. All reports are treated in strictest confidence.

Further enquiries

Parking Services
Mulberry Place (AH)
PO Box 55739
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 1BY

Parking Helpline: 020 7364 5003 (Open: Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm, Saturday from 8am to 4pm)
Fax number: 020 7364 6797

Email:parking@towerhamlets.gov.uk