The Ultimate Guide to Car Parking Regulations
It can often feel like the bays in modern car parks are getting smaller, but in truth it’s probably just that more of us are driving bigger cars. As a result, too many of today’s car parks feel like they are no longer fit for purpose, with people having to struggle to get in and out of their vehicles due to the reduced amount of space available to open their doors fully.
One solution might be to make the bays in car parks bigger, but would that be fair on the owners or managers of the car park? After all, remarking whole car parks can be a big job in itself, and would inevitably result in fewer spaces – meaning potentially a significant drop in income.
All of which begs the question: are there regulations that govern these matters? The Northern Marking team has all the answers.
How big should car parking spaces be?
There is no legally required minimum size for a parking bay in the UK, but there is a standard minimum generally adhered to and that is 4.8 metres long by 2.4 metres wide. Meanwhile, there should also be at least six metres between lines of bays to allow vehicles to safely manoeuvre in and out.
As mentioned, the size of modern vehicles is making these minimums increasingly difficult to work within. For instance, the latest Nissan Qashqai is 4.4 metres long and 2.1 metres wide (including the mirrors). Even if the vehicle is parked dead centre, that’s not allowing much space on either side.
You need to allow even more space for disabled bays (to allow access for those in wheelchairs) and for larger vehicles, such as vans, lorries and coaches.
Should there be a minimum number of disabled parking bays?
We’ve already mentioned that there needs to be a minimum size for disabled spaces. It’s worth emphasising just how much extra space needs to be allowed – including at the back of the vehicle – when it comes to planning these in. However, car park owners also need to allow for a minimum number of spaces, which should be 6% of the total number.
Again this is a government guideline, and not a specific law. However, failure to meet this guideline may represent a breach of the Equality Act 2010, so isn’t something to be treated lightly.
Are spaces for electric vehicle charging mandatory in UK car parks?
As more and more of us opt for eco-friendly electric vehicles, so the provision for charging points needs to keep in line with that growth. As of June 2022, any non-residential building with more than ten parking spaces has to provide at least one electric vehicle (EV) charging point. This mainly applies to businesses providing parking spaces for their employees.
At present, there is no legal requirement for public car parks to provide EV charging points. However, more car park owners are taking the sensible step of doing so as a means of encouraging owners of electric vehicles to use their facilities.
Northern Marking is based in Manchester, but provides services to clients in the following areas; Huddersfield, Blackburn, Rochdale, Preston and beyond. Northern Marking is a leading road marking company, providing the following services; line marking, school & playground markings, warehouse markings, electric car parking space marking, line removal, white lining and car park markings.
Here at Northern Marking, we provide road marking services on public highways for local authorities in and around Manchester and the wider North West region. With twenty years of experience and expertise in the line marking industry, we use state-of-the-art materials to achieve impressive, long-lasting results every time.
