Car Free Housing

In traffic congested and polluted areas, where land space is at a premium, we have been encouraging the development of car free housing schemes since 1997.

In car free housing schemes there is no on-site car parking except for disabled drivers.

Car free housing developments are secured through section 106 of the planning agreements between us and developers.

We encourage the development of car free housing in locations that are:

• easily accessible by public transport
• near a range of amenities, including shops and leisure activities
• within a controlled parking zone

Car free housing helps to:

• make Camden a less car dependent place to live, work and visit
• reduce traffic congestion and pollution
• improve the quality of the environment
• encourage more travel on foot, by cycle and by public transport

This new approach to modern urban living is supported in Government planning policy guidance PPG (including: PPG3 on housing and PPG13 on transport), as well as in their urban white paper: 'Our towns and cities: the future - delivering an urban renaissance' (DETR, 2000) and the Mayor of London's Transport Strategy and London Plan.

This is a planning policy for new housing schemes where the space traditionally reserved for car parking is instead used for more housing units or greener uses such as more play spaces and cycle parking. Residents of car free housing schemes are not eligible for on-street parking permits.

By eliminating off-street parking provision for residents of car free housing, a greater proportion of the development site may be given over to the flats or houses themselves. Alternatively, it may allow for attractive landscaping or higher density housing within the development in place of on-site car parking, in addition to promoting car free greener and healthier lifestyles.

The development of car free housing contributes to tackling climate change. Motorised transport is responsible for over 25% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions which leads to global warming and climate change.

Up to summer (August) 2004, we have granted planning permission for 2,523 car free housing units (in 287 residential schemes), saving approximately 5,046 car trips each day once they are all built.

Car free housing is also being introduced in cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Bremen, Cambridge and Edinburgh. In London, a number of other councils are now also encouraging the development of car free housing.