Context

Plan and Layout

Scale and Form

Boundary Treatment

Elevation Treatment

Materials

Parking

Plant and Infrastructure

Commercial and non-residential buildings

Parking

Introduction

As a general rule development should seek to reduce the visual dominance of cars and other vehicles on the public realm and design out inconsiderate parking which affects streets in and around developments.


Cycle parking must be located conveniently and planned to ensure easy access, encouraging day-to-day usage. It should feel secure giving cyclists confidence that their bicycle will still be there when they return and with good levels of natural surveillance to help users feel safe.

Features of commercial parking

  • Sustainable drainage
  • Landscape breaks
  • Permeable surface materials
  • Accessible hard surface paths

CNP 1

Surface parking

Surface parking must be well landscaped and allow for natural surveillance and easy access to the buildings it serves. No more than ten spaces should be provided in a double row without being broken up by landscape. Parking layouts must comply with the relevant codes set out in the ‘Landscape and Industrial and Commercial Sheds’ sub-chapter in ‘Landscape and Nature‘.

Example of surface parking

Surface car parking behind building

Surface parking with decked communal area

SUDs swale

Rain garden

Accessible path

Parking

CNP 2

Undercroft parking

Undercroft parking must be obscured from view from the street, form an integral part of the overall elevation design, with vehicle access points limited and active frontage optimised.

Example of hiding undercroft parking behind an active edge

Undercroft parking with retail edge on street

Undercroft and deck parking 

Office

Active ground floor

Parking

CNP 3

Basement parking

Where basement parking is considered to be acceptable, the entrance must not be located on the principal elevation and must be integral to the overall architecture of the building. Retaining walls must be kept to a minimum and designed to minimise the visual impact on the external appearance of the building, the site and streetscene. A high-quality landscaping scheme must form part of the overall design proposal.

Example of creating a flat and level ground floor edge

Office

Active ground floor

Parking

CNP 4

Cycle parking

Cycle parking must be provided in a covered, secure and easily accessible location and provide for a range of cycle types.

Commercial parking case studies

Wellington Place, Leeds

Wellington Place, Leeds by DLG, Arup, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios Architects (FCBS), Carey Jones and Gillespies, Martha Schwartz (Landscape) Wellington Place marks an important part

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