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Draft city centre parking strategy and action plan

A draft parking strategy and action plan to ensure there remains a well-managed supply of public car parking facilities for Lancaster City Centre was approved for consultation at a meeting of Lancaster City Council’s Cabinet (Thursday, March 7 2024).

We're asking for the views of people who live and work in the Lancaster District on the draft parking strategy and action plan.

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Key Facts:

The city council’s public off-street commercial parking portfolio is one element of total publicly available car parking provision in the city centre. This includes private commercial provision, and both on-street parking and the Park & Ride (P&R) at the M6 junction 34 operated by Lancashire County Council.

Currently there is good availability and surplus capacity observed at most times of the day / week / year enabling the majority of drivers to find a free parking space both at their convenience and for most times. It is recognised however that officers are working with imprecise variables and information against an unplanned, poor-quality provision which is difficult to manage efficiently. Specific seasonal, school holiday and festival peaks put pressure on the portfolio, although little is done to mitigate or promote alternatives which could ease demand at these times. Some parts of the city centre portfolio are unpopular and underutilised (and vice versa), and the existing P&R and lack of bus priority and availability provides little incentive for its use in the face of broadly ample car parking provision for most car users.

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Key facts comments:

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Policy Context:

Sub-regional and local policy is visionary in its consideration of the future direction of travel and transport for the city. There is broad agreement and encouragement in policy for: reducing car use and penetration into and around the city centre; fewer city centre vehicle trips and substitution to public transport and sustainable modes; improving air quality, pedestrian amenity, and reducing accidents. However, the practical resources and a funded action plan to deliver against this policy agenda – and, crucially, what specific actions to be implemented and when they will be done – is less clear. The levers and resources to deliver against the sustainable travel aims are generally outside of the control of the city council. Responsibility for strategy and major investment lies with Lancashire County Council as the local highway and transport authority with a major future role for improving public transport defined for the emerging Lancashire Combined County Authority.

Specific reference to car parking provision and its current/future role in the economy and sustainable transport and travel agenda is largely absent. However, it is implied in policy that the current location and ease of availability and location of Lancaster city centre parking is a major factor in facilitating congestion, harmful vehicle circulation, and does little to support alternative and lower emission travel modes.

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Policy Context comments:

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Parking Demand:

Car parking plays an important role in the city economy and accessibility particularly for less mobile/rural users and into the evenings where public transport options are limited or largely unavailable. Peak demand and use is broadly manageable with turnover largely allowing accommodation of vehicles without overt highway impact or impositions on driver utility.

Accounting for future demand is complex due to the range of strategic, policy and local drivers in play. Increasing proportion of electric vehicles, use of mobile technology, adoption of autonomous vehicles sit alongside the broad policy agenda to “unclog” city centres and increase the number of trips made by low emission modes.

Most vehicle trips to Lancaster (and therefore parking demand) are local in nature, originating from the LA1, LA2 and LA4 postcodes. While this suggests there are opportunities for modal shift, strategic public transport improvements are likely to be achieved over the long-term rather than short/medium term.

It is assumed that public transport options and quality of provision will improve but options to reduce flow volumes and car parking demand could prioritise “softer” car share and employer travel plan work as much as “hard” infrastructure to improve public transport priority. With county council / Combined Authority engagement, in the medium to long-term, public transport options will improve and contribute towards demand reduction.

Ultimately, the continuing need for, and reliance, on private vehicles for many city visits into the immediate future must be accepted. As the various demand push and pull factors paly out demand for city car parking is therefore expected to be relatively consistent and needs to be accommodated.

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Parking Demand comments:

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11.

Parking Supply:

The existing council provision is an important, albeit not sole, element of wider city centre parking provision. The council has also taken on the role of parking provider more by accident than design. There are specific issues / costs associated with maintaining the existing MSCPs and surface car parking portfolio developing which need to be addressed for the long-term. The strategy acknowledges the need for a reasonable and optimal quantum of parking provision for the city’s needs but also notes that developing future permanent, higher quality, more sustainable parking solutions in better locations will be challenging.

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Parking Supply:

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Car Parking Strategy Positioning:

The strategy takes a position between and elements of both “Decide and Provide” and “Predict and Provide”. Incorporating measures that best meet overall council policy objectives without significantly impacting and actively assisting otherwise potentially competing wider public policy aims.

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Car Parking Strategy Positioning comments:

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Key Aims:

Provision in the right locations reducing need for circulation/penetration into, through and around the city centre by private vehicles.
Provide sufficient parking options to service the needs of the evening and cultural economy.
Provide high quality and safe car parks (for both vehicles and users) which are attractive to customers.
Ensure sufficient provision in good locations for blue badge holders, with a target of 6% as per Department for Transport recommendation.
Promote the optimum use of land in support of the broad aims and objectives of city, county council, and other public policy objectives
Help inform transport strategy, development decisions, and planning applications.
Manage peak car park use by promoting alternative options.
Ensuring the permanent car park offer is fit for the future; particularly use of electric vehicles and provision for alternative modes (cycle parking/car share hubs) and active travel amenity such as secure cycle storage.
Provide a short term (up to 2 years) medium term (up to 7 years) and long term (10 years) action focus.

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Action Plan:

Please read the Action Plan: the short, medium and long term actions.

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