The draft of chapter 11 was a very positive document that had very many features which I strongly supported and the vast majority of amendments serve to further improve the Chapter. In particular, I would point out amendments
as particularly deserving of support and adoption.
However, the exception are those amendments and dealing with car parking. Constructing car parking as part of residential, commercial, or any other development significantly inflates the price of building the development pushing up the prices we all must pay. This is a cost that is designed into the original design and will not be fully reduced if the level of parking is reduced late in the planning process or removed subsequent to construction. It also occupied significant space taking away space from housing, natural and social spaces. Beyond the effects of parking on the individual development limiting parking is by far the most effective way of limiting the damage that traffic does to a community leading to a quieter, safer, more pleasant, and above all healthier community.
Very significant progress was made in the draft plan in recognising this and limiting the damage parking does communities. The dramatic increase in a large number of permitted parking maxima in amendment 1.332 is a retrograde step and I object to the adoption of this amendment for those reasons.