Car clubs in new developments
Project details
Full project title: Car Clubs in New Developments
Sponsors: Rees Jefferys, Road Fund, Transport Scotland, CIHT Trust, Redrow Homes
Project manager: Carplus Trust
Centre for Transport and Society (CTS) members involved: Dr Steve Melia and Professor Graham Parkhurst, UWE Bristol
Start date: March 2015
Finish date: April 2016
Project briefing sheet: Download the briefing sheet (PDF)
Summary
This project explored the factors influencing the relative success of car clubs in new developments. This was a joint project between CTS and Carplus, the umbrella organisation for car clubs in the UK. Its aims were to explore:
- the benefits, challenges and policy impacts of car clubs in housing developments.
- factors affecting car club feasibility and success.
- the respective roles of the developer, the local authority and the car club operator in delivering successful car clubs.
- the use planning tools, especially planning conditions, supplementary planning guidance (SPG) and planning agreements in the delivery of car clubs in new developments.
Eight local authorities and 12 housing developments were selected as case studies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders in local authorities, developers and car club operators.
The study found that car clubs are more likely to be successfully established within a development (or in a neighbourhood adjacent to a development) if consideration is given early enough in the planning process to its viability as a location. In evaluating this, there are several key factors which help to identify where car clubs might be successfully established in new developments. These include: population density, PTAL rating and availability of public transport, parking constraints, car ownership levels and other cultural and socioeconomic/demographic characteristics.