The City of Canning is looking to squeeze cars out of its city centre with less car parks in new developments and the possible introduction of paid parking in Cannington and Queens Park.
At their ordinary council meeting on November 15 Canning councillors agreed to a proposed amendment of the city’s town planning scheme to reduce the car park requirements in new development applications.
The proposed amendments could see car park requirements drop drastically in Cannington and Queens Park.
Takeaway outlets and restaurants are currently required to provide one parking space per 2.5-square metres.
Under the proposed amendment they would only be required to provide one space per 50-square metres.
In their report to councillors city officers said the current parking requirements in the scheme related to Canning generally and provided a parking rate too high for the city centre.
“This amendment…seeks to enable the structure/activity centre plans in the City of Canning to achieve higher density transit oriented development and support more people to cycle, walk or use public transport,” they said.
Officers said the proposed parking rates were in line with the Canning City Centre Movement, Access and Parking Strategy prepared by Jacobs consultants earlier this year.
Under this same strategy adopted by the city the consultants proposed introducing pricing for parking in conjunction with retailers.
They also proposed ‘introducing a charge for all public on-street and off-street parking’ in the city centre in the short term.
A Canning spokesman said because the Canning city centre is a strategic metropolitan centre they must consider car parking and upper limits within activity centres.
“This is very different to the city’s current parking requirements that only provide a minimum number,” he said.
“The revised rates propose to reduce the amount of parking in areas zoned ‘centre’ within the City of Canning including the Canning City Centre and Queens Park structure plan areas.”
The spokesman said the city had consulted landowners including local businesses on the Canning City Centre Activity Centre Plan through written correspondence.
He said the amendment will be advertised in the new year for landowners and businesses to provide further comments.
When asked whether the city was considering implementing paid parking, as the Jacobs strategy suggested, the spokesman said they may consider it in the long term but it was not a consideration currently.
The city will now send its proposed scheme amendments to the Environmental Protection Authority and the WA Planning Commission before it puts it out to public comment.
What do you think? Do you support less parking in the city centre or paid parking? Email us at editorial@examinernewspapers.com.au.
