Car free developments

What is a car-free property?

Car-free properties are homes which have been built without car parking spaces.

The idea is to reduce traffic congestion, reduce air pollution and better manage the limited amount of space available for on-street parking.

By living in a car-free property, you've agreed to certain terms. Usually, this means you can't apply for an on-street parking permit and you can only apply for a limited number of visitor vouchers each year.

Your solicitor or landlord has responsibility for explaining this agreement to you before you purchase or rent a property in a car-free development.

Applying for visitor vouchers

A blue badge holder can apply for 240 visitor vouchers in a year. Otherwise, you will only be allowed to apply for 30 visitor vouchers in a year. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic as a temporary measure we introduced an additional visitor voucher to help our residents living in car free properties through these difficult times. This visitor voucher works in the same way but must be used within 30 days from the date of purchase.

Apply for visitor vouchers

Applying for a permit if you are a decantee

• You must have had an on-street resident parking permit prior to moving.  
• A letter from the Registered Social Landlord (Housing Association) to confirm that you have been decanted.

Permit Transfer Scheme (PTS)

The PTS helps some families to move into larger, social rented, car-free homes by allowing the family to retain one on-street resident parking permit.

The PTS is subject to the following criteria:

1) The applicant must be living in overcrowded housing and must be moving to larger, car-free, housing provided by a registered provider or the council and which is rented at below-market-rate (excluding any rented housing falling within the intermediate housing tenure). 

2) The new property must have at least three bedrooms and must have more bedrooms than the current property.

3) The applicant must have held an on-street parking permit for at least twelve months prior to moving in to the new property. During this twelve-month period, small breaks in holding a permit are allowed, provided that they do not exceed a total of thirty days.

In the case of a homeless household who were placed in temporary accommodation outside the borough, the twelve-month period will be the twelve months prior to being placed outside the borough.

4) The applicant must provide all relevant proof that they are eligible, including the duly signed and dated, approved tenancy agreement.

5) After the move, only one on-street resident permit may be held per household. If a member of the household holds or obtains an on-street resident permit as a result of being or becoming a blue badge holder then the household may not hold or obtain a permit under the PTS as well.

6) In order to remain eligible under the PTS, you must renew your permit on or before the expiry date.

7) These criteria came into force on 2 April 2018.

How to apply

Please make sure you have read and understood the terms and conditions before applying.

You can now apply and pay for all parking permits online through our new parking permit system. 

To apply for any permit, you must first set up an account. When registering, choose ‘Resident’ as your customer type to apply for a resident permit.

Register for an account

Once we receive your application, it will be assessed within three working days. No payment will be taken until we have approved your application. If your application is rejected, no payment will be taken.

Apply for a resident parking permit