More parking spaces for new houses will have to be provided by developers and builders if they want to get approval from Worcestershire County Council.

The county council has set out its new recommendations for the number of off-street parking spaces per size of house in a new Streetscene design guide adopted by the authority’s cabinet yesterday (Thursday).

And the cabinet member for highways, Councillor Alan Amos said if builders don't provide more off-street parking, the highways department will not give its approval when district councils are considering planning applications.

The new calculation is by bedroom: one bedroom houses flats should be allocated one car parking space and a cycle space.

Two and three-bedroom houses and flats should have two spaces, and houses with four or five bedrooms should have space to park three cars off-road.

Garages do not count as part of the parking allocation because they can be converted into living accommodation.

Cllr Amos said: “The purpose is to relieve road congestion. Time and again we are told by the residents of Worcestershire that this is their number one concern.

“If there aren’t sufficient off-road, on-site parking spaces available, then people have to park on the road, and that adds to the congestion.”

He added: “This applies equally to flats and to houses, and to private residential homes and social, affordable housing. We won’t have anything to do with the absurd notion that people in social housing don’t have cars.”

The councillor for Bedwardine criticised the idea that restricting parking would mean that fewer people would use cars.

He said: “In the real world, the world I live in people will continue to have, and use cars. We have abandoned the absurd concept of car-free development. Even old people’s homes, where none of the residents drive will have doctors and the like visiting by car. We’re using the more realistic concept of parking-free development.”

“The only consequence of no off-road parking is increased road congestion.”

Cllr Amos’ Conservative colleagues praised the new guidelines. Councillor John Smith said: “This is much overdue. Every member of this cabinet, probably of this council will have had many complaints about lack of parking, and congestion.

Councillor Tony Miller said: “Getting fewer cars parked in the roads will improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists and children using the pavement. It makes the view for these road users better and safer.”

Green councillor Matt Jenkins said he was disappointed by the provisions in the streetscene guide for parking. He said: “The guide itself says that the first priority should be pedestrians, then cyclists, then travellers by public transport. Only then should consideration be given to users of other traffic.

“The council isn’t even following its own guidelines. It’s very disappointing.”

While district councils such as Worcester City Council are responsible for giving or refusing planning permission for new housing developments, the county council’s highways department is always asked its view which carries a lot of weight with planning committees.