Rear parking courts may be appropriate once all street and on-plot parking options are exhausted, but must be integrated within high quality planting and landscape design.

Guidance

1. Limited application : Only use rear parking courts when all on-plot and on-street parking options are exhausted, as householders prefer to park in these locations over rear parking courts, as they afford better surveillance of the car, and more convenient access.

2. Limit size : Limit size of courts to serve no more than six homes, as this encourages better security and a stronger sense of ownership.

3. Tree planting : Insert a tree at least every 4 parking bays, to break-up the parking areas.

4. Planting bays within a parking area, that are located between parking areas and a building should be a minimum depth of 1m, to provide sufficient space for adequate planting to mitigate the privacy of residents in ground floor rooms.

5. High quality planting : Use trees and general planting with a height greater than 900mm to create effective screening between the ground floor windows and parking areas.

6. High quality hard surfaces : Use quality hard surfaces, lighting and street furniture to create an attractive setting and sense of address when cars are absent.

7. Do not over engineer parking bay designation : Parking bays should be subtly demarcated, to avoid cluttering the landscape. Avoid using large painted lettering, and use discrete approaches such as number discs set into the hard surfacing, and hard surfacing treatments to avoid the need for white lines.

8. Maximise surveillance : Provide large windows and doors within habitable rooms, and balconies / roof terraces overlooking any parking courts to maximise surveillance.

9. Provide secure access : Limit the number of access routes into rear parking courts, provide gates and associated digital access to enhance safety and security.