Cambridge Conservative campaigner Andy Bower has welcomed the news that the Conservative-led government has dropped compulsory restrictions on parking for new developments.

Andy Bower says,

“The former Labour government forced local councils to restrict parking on new developments and the Liberal Democrats in Cambridge gold-plated the rule, building in parking chaos across the city.

“I welcome the action by Conservative ministers to remove this parking rule.  Now the onus is on local Lib Dems to drop their disastrous restriction preventing adequate parking from being created.

“Coleridge residents will be particularly hit by the new CB1 development in the station area which was approved without new parking provision and will exacerbate existing commuter parking problems around Rustat Road.”

Previously government rules restricted parking to 1.5 spaces per dwelling with Cambridge’s local plan reducing this to 1 space in most cases.

Andy Bower added,

“Experience shows that people don’t stop having cars just because parking is made difficult.  Instead of penalising people we should be taking positive steps to improve cycle parking in the city.”