“There is nowhere to park” is a familiar objection to an HMO application. It deserves a proper answer. The first task is to establish whether the concern is about the number of cars, where they would park, or what that would mean for other people using the street.
Read the objection before commissioning the report
A request for a parking survey is different from a concern about reversing over a footway. Establish what the highway officer considers missing and whether the issue is evidence, design or policy compliance.
A proportionate response might be a short technical note, a revised parking plan or a targeted survey. A full Transport Assessment is not automatically required because an HMO has attracted objections.
Check the baseline and the proposed occupancy
Show the lawful existing use and the proposed number of bedrooms and occupants. Explain how parking demand has been estimated and whether existing parking would be lost.
Avoid relying on assumptions about particular tenants. If the case depends on management measures or occupancy limits, explain how those arrangements would be secured and checked with the planning team.
A parking space has to work in practice
Check whether cars can enter, park and leave without blocking the footway, doors, bins or other spaces. Tandem parking is particularly sensitive where occupants do not share a household.
A drawing that accommodates an extra rectangle can create a worse access arrangement. The layout and the parking demand should be considered together.
Answer the concern with the relevant evidence
Where the issue is overspill, show the survey scope, available lawful capacity and additional demand. Where it is safety, address visibility, manoeuvring, pedestrian movements and the relevant street conditions.
Present a direct response to each material issue. If the evidence reveals a problem, revise the proposal or explain the residual risk to the client rather than describing every objection as unfounded.
Do not confuse a transport response with the whole planning case
HMO policy may also address concentration, amenity and housing matters. Planning permission and housing licensing are separate processes, and transport evidence cannot determine those other issues.
Work with the planning consultant so the transport conclusions and the proposed use, occupancy and management arrangements describe the same scheme.
For the next project
A strong response is easy to follow: this is the concern, this is the evidence, and this is what the proposal does about it. That gives the officer and the applicant a clearer basis for the next decision.
Sources and scope
- National Design Guide: movement and parkingEngland. Local parking requirements and the suitability of the particular location still need to be checked.
Sources checked 19 October 2026. National and local procedures differ. The project checks above are Ripple’s practical recommendations; the relevant authority determines the applicable approvals.
Related services: HMO transport planning · Parking stress surveys · Car free and low car development.