Pubs sharing street parking with nearby homes is a common feature of historic developments.Here a well detailed example has unallocated spaces in a communal area which is controlledfor the benefit of residents only outside the pub's peak business hours.

Shared car park forms a triangle between main road, The Fox and a residential terrace.

Date 18th-19th century

Developers not known

Architects not known

Building form Terrace residential

Dwelling types 2-storey 2, 3 and 4 bed houses

Density 45 homes to the hectare

Parking 125%

The Fox, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

68

Description

The parking scheme adjoins a terrace of small cottages set back from theroad, and immediately adjoining TheFox public house. The scaling of onecottage to another suggests an organicdevelopment of the terrace over theyears, reinforced by variations in roofpitch and line between properties.Prominent chimneys and traditionalrainwater goods complete animpression of a small, historicallycorrect village green settlement — but without the green itself.

The car parking thus occupies the area of the ’missing’ green. Intended for use by residents holding permits, it also offers 2 hours’ free parking toothers. Set around a horse troughasking that we “Be Merciful To Man And Beast”, the parking is arranged intwo ranks of 45o angled bays, divided by a wider than usual carriageway; thiscan be accessed from two ends. The angled arrangement allows for asurprisingly generous number of spaceson this tight site.

The scheme is well detailed, with baysclearly marked by slightly raised stonestrips. The main surface is gravel over

blacktop, with low granite kerbs to thepavement in front of the cottages.

The main road at this point is finished in square grey paviors, which change to a reddish colour at the crossoversinto the parking area. The crossoversare very gradually sloped, and definethe area of the zone immediately beforethe central carriageway between bays.

Flush stone strips carried through the crossovers define front and back edges of the pavements. Pavementshave a pronounced gutter zone laid to fall in natural stone.

A

Treatments are low key to preserve flavour of historic town centre. Angle to pavement increases carriageway width for cars to manoeuvre.

69 English Partnerships

The Fox, Bury St Edmunds, SuffolkA On street: angled to pavement

Simple details define pavement from bays while shared surface lane accesses other properties.

Cross-reference

See also pages 103 and 131

Notes

70

Critical commentaryUrban

Residents' ability to park is dependenton demand by others

Reflective and skillful detailing to bays;clear physical and visual demarcationaids responsible parking

Parking clearly defined withoutrecourse to highways department paint

Pavement areas clearly defined without use of bollards or high kerbs

Efficient use of space for unallocated parking

On street: angled to pavement

Design quality brought housebuyers to a Thames Gateway site next to the Dartford Crossing.Some areas dependent on allocated spaces have faced parking issues, but treatments arediverse, including Kentish stable doors for garaging, and amenity over garages.

Some areas at Ingress Park with residentsÕ parking to the rear and limited visitor parking in front lead to issues.

Date 2001 (continues)

Developers Crest Nicholson

Architects Gardner Stewart Architects with urban designers Tibbalds TM2

Building form 2, 2 1/2, 3 and 3 1/2 storey terraces; 4 1/2 storey apartment block with basement

Dwelling types 1 and 2 bed flats; 3 and 4 bed townhouses

Density 40-150 homes to the hectare

Parking 160%

Ingress Park, Greenhithe, Kent

72

Description

The scheme is built around generousamounts of soft landscaping, presentingthe development as a sequence of separate spaces. So there are housesset around a crescent shaped green with a grass surface laid to the natural grade; and there are tree lined boulevards withgravelled edges adjoining granite kerbsand wide grass verges. Brick archedgatehouse buildings give access tostreets and pavements finished withprecast setts. A proportion of the 950homes of Ingress Park are located in a five-storey apartment block, thesubjective scale of which sitsuncomfortably with adjacent buildings.

The scheme was one of the first to applyreduced parking ratios to a major newhousing development: in areas wherespaces are mostly allocated on plot,notably in integral garages, there areobvious problems with capacity as thegarage is ignored and the car parked infront of properties with two wheels onthe pavement.

But other treatments are diverse andoften well executed. Simple layby parking is provided to the edges of the green; the apartment block sits over a rusticated

brick undercroft vented at high levelthrough grillage in medievally deepopenings. The close-style housing has hardstandings finished in blacktop(perhaps also usable as visitor bays), and slate roofed garages in pairs forresidents; the garages are accessed fromstreets paved in multi-coloured squares.The red multi-stock brick townhousesuse integral garages with arched

openings at street level; in front of these are parking bays, which will offer some unallocated capacity for visitors, marked on blacktophardstanding adjoining the squarepaviors. Raised dimpled areas arelocated near some buildings in anattempt to deter on street parkingimmediately next to windows andentrance doors.

A

B

C D

Bay windows compensate for loss of windows to street caused by garages. Garages are designed to look like Kentish stable doors.

73 English Partnerships

Ingress Park, Greenhithe, Kent A Off plot: rear court / on plot: mews court

Arch enhances court’s sense of defensible space. Steps up make access from mews on street side.

Cross-reference

See pages 61, 83, 85, 95, 103, 105 and 131

Good surveillance from houses onto cars. Run of bays broken with trees also makes crossing road easier for pedestrians.

B On street: in line with pavement

On street parking away from the frontage of any one home encourages visitors to use these bays.

Cross-reference

See also pages 31, 51 and 125

74

Critical commentary

Garages off carriageway access to court may cause congestion

Access to court through archwaycreates defensible space

The court is small enough to encouragea sense of ownership. Court is welllooked over by adjoining properties

High quality materials appropriate to context

Small scale of court encourages senseof ownership. Court is well looked overby adjoining properties

High quality materials appropriate to context

Off plot: rear court

Requirement to access homes from street rather than mews courtmakes street active

On plot: mews court

Excellent provision of well designed on street unallocated parking tosupplement on plot solutions

Island separation between layby offersopportunity to provide planting spacefor semi-mature trees

Simple materials and sensibledimensions provide effective on street parking; adds animation to the streetscape

Good surveillance of cars fromadjoining properties

On street: in line with pavement

Urban

Bay windows used to compensate for loss of street-level windows to garage. Access to the amenity deck is a first floor bridge.

75 English Partnerships

Ingress Park, Greenhithe, Kent C On plot: chauffeur unit

French windows connect amenity space to house. Amenity space overlooks landscaping, not housing.

Cross-reference

See also pages 85, 105 and 109

Undercroft bays are accessed across an internal court. Undercroft lifts ground floor level up so it can have a more private outside terrace.

D Off plot: undercroft

Houses are accessed from the front.

76

Critical commentary

Restricted in its usage due to potential overlooking issues

Ground floor surveillance to street is limited

Use of roof as amenity space a positive contribution to plot allowing higher density by exploiting topography

Garage doors close to highway ensurecars not parked in front of doors

Big windows and bays create interest while terrace adds to their high level surveillance

On plot: chauffeur unit

Limited appeal of view fromapartments into parking court

Access from parking to apartments is limited

Good balance of natural surveillanceand defensible space at ground levelachieved through plinth design

Plinth design allows parking solution to be lit and ventilated naturally

Placing parking in the undercroftimproves attractiveness of landscaped environment

Off plot: undercroft

Urban

10mph traffic speeds, the first use of a homezone in new-build and a design strategy ofavoiding garages and on-plot parking. This scheme hides the car's impact better than most,but its best parking treatment is a simple on street design with plenty of surveillance.

Riverside view of block with open podium car park to left.

Date 2005

Developers George Wimpey North

Architects Ian Darby Partnership and consultants Hemingway Design

Building form terraced and semidetached 2 and 3 storey townhouses6 and 7 storey apartment blocks

Dwelling types 158 dwellings: 2, 3 and 4 bed houses.1, 2 and 3 bed flats

Density 46 homes to the hectare

Parking 125%

The Staiths, South Bank, Gateshead

78

Description

The Staiths will ultimately comprise 800 units, of which the schemeexamined is the first of five phases. A former brownfield site on the banks of the Tyne and previously the site of theGateshead Garden Festival, the Staiths is constructed in an eclectic mix of brick,fairfaced block, render, and cedarcladding. Roofs are both variouslypitched as well as flat, and finished in either interlocking tiles or profiledaluminium. There is extraordinaryattention paid to both hard and softlandscaping with generally cleardemarcation between vehicles andpedestrians. Subjectively, the spacebetween buildings feels generous, andthere is an emphasis on communal and ‘homezone’ areas encouragingparticipative activities such as barbeques,table tennis, and children’s play.

Traffic is calmed to 10mph averagesthroughout by the use of sett strips to all access roads. There are a number of approaches to car parking on the site,some good. However, one apartmentblock has an exposed podium. The aimis to allow views through to river but byleaving the sides to the parking open, thespace echoes risks associated with

similar ground floor structures. Basicmetal fencing on the public riverside pathcloses off access from one side, but theside within the development is securedonly with a low fence. Another apartmentblock has a much happier treatment withparking courts around three sides, withcars parked at right angles to the blockand pavement on street or in a smallcourt at the access point, all very well

surveilled; areas typically accommodate6 or 8 vehicles and cater for visitorparking when required. Terracedtownhouses have both conventional bayparking finished in setts, but separatedfrom the house by the pavement androadway. Another distinctive parkingsolution is houses where French doorslead to the house patio, then immediatelyaccess an area of vehicle hardstanding.

AB

Good surveillance onto vehicles. Spaces bound by river have natural security.

79 English Partnerships

The Staiths, South Bank, GatesheadA On street: right angled to pavement

Good division of bays with material and planting. Bicycle store butts up to bays in front court.

Cross-reference

See also pages 39, 47 and 117

Spaces are enclosed within the development, but only by low fence. Podium is better secured against riverside public footpath but with cheap detailing.

B Off plot: podium

View under podium to river. Riverside view showing extent of podium deck.

Cross-reference

See also pages 35 and 57

80

Critical commentary

BICYCLE STORAGEBICYCLE STORAGE BICYCLE STORAGEBICYCLE STORAGE

bicycle store

bicycle store

entrance / exit

Urban

Some residents will have indirect walkfrom parking space to home

Exploits fall in site towards river to create defensible space

Very good surveillance of car parkingfrom ground floor and first

Spaces are well detailed and broken up with landscaping

Car parking is not fully secured toavoid risks associated with similarground floor structures

Creates blank street level which is partlyoffset by views through to River Tyne

Cost effective and practical

Spatially and environmentallypreferable to some underground car parks

On street: right angled to pavement

Off plot: podium

Compact dimensions of small frontcourt may make it hard to manoeuvre

Neat geometry and space efficient

Limited amenity of podium deck