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DC Casebook: Retail development - Shop parking held to harm area character

Retail development

Planning, 22 August 2008

The retention of two disabled car parking spaces at a shop near Bristol has been refused permission on the grounds that they undermine the character of the area and highway safety.

An area of open land adjacent to the premises had been hard-surfaced and two vehicles and a motorcycle were parked on the site. In the inspector's view, the hard surface and the parked vehicles together undermined the character of the area and contrasted with the open grassed areas and grass verges in the locality.

He also found that the spaces were poorly sited next to double doors providing access for deliveries to the shop. This could introduce potential conflict between vehicles, he reasoned. Restricting the use of the spaces to disabled drivers would be difficult to enforce by condition, he decided. He considered that there was a risk that the spaces would be used more intensively by all car drivers, adding to the frequency of problems.

DCS Number 100-056-670

Inspector David Wildsmith; Written representations.