Comprehensive surveys of the three partially completed new villages within Ebbsfleet(Castle Hill, Springhead Park and Ebbsfleet Green) have been undertaken, to better understand current car ownership and parking demand, and supplement the census data.

Surveys identified the number of spaces / types of spaces provided within each development, and how many cars were actually parked within these spaces, at various times across the week. Sensitivity analysis was used to deal with the unknown condition around cars parked within garages.

The surveys revealed that the observed on-plot parking is significantly less than the parking provided during all survey periods for all house types, although this differential varies across developments . With respect to the apartments, it is noted that the parking demand is closer to the actual provision.

With respect to houses in the Garden City, the observed car ownership level increases with larger houses (by number of bedrooms) whilst apartments generate lower demand for parking spaces. The greatest demand seems to occur during the Sunday morning survey period. This is not surprising as it is assumed that most residents will be at home during this period.

There are a number of factors that should be considered around these surveys, including the age of children within the developments, who are generally below the driving age, potentially suppressing the parking demand in comparison to more mature neighbourhoods.

However the general evidence suggests that current schemes are providing an over supply of parking across the housing typologies.

While this over-supply could be seen as helpful in providing flexibility to accommodate flux in parking demand as travel behaviours change and the development matures in the next few decades, this flexibility could be more efficiently provided through shared / unallocated parking within the street and the public realm.

The allocation of space for unused parking is a significant waste of land resource, which could be used for alternative facilities.