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Will's avatar

I’d like to comment on the issue of car widths and parking space dimensions. In the UK, there’s no legal standard for parking space size—only recommendations. The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) seems to provide the most widely accepted guidance, suggesting spaces should be 2.6 metres wide and 5.0 metres long.

However, a new standard appears to be emerging for EV parking spaces, setting the width at 2.8 metres—regardless of the vehicle's size. Across Europe, space widths vary between 2.3 and 2.6 metres, depending on the country.

Personally, I’d love to own a 1957 Fiat 500—only 1.627 metres wide—but after being driven in one with two others over six feet tall, I can confirm it wasn’t exactly practical. Perhaps this is part of the reason cars have grown in size over the years.

Even my compact EV, which can barely seat four (comfortably two), measures 1.775 metres wide—and it still struggles to fit into ‘modern’ parking spaces in most car parks. Opening the doors is a challenge, even in relatively empty bays.

Perhaps the real campaign should be for decently sized parking spaces that allow everyone—whether able-bodied or infirm—to get in and out of their car without difficulty.

And while we're at it, why is Lambeth Council wasting public money on yet another consultation about SUVs and kerbside parking? They often tell us that fewer than 25% of their residents own a car, yet on my street, there's so much kerbside parking that I could park a bus and still have room for every resident's vehicle.

…And is the air pollution referenced in the article truly coming from vehicles—or is it actually from buildings? I suspect that one day, when the cars are gone, we’ll realise the pollution levels haven’t improved much at all.

What we need is real data that clearly shows how and where pollution is being generated. My hunch is that a significant share comes from gas-fired boilers working overtime to heat poorly insulated homes and commercial properties.

How many businesses, for instance, have proper double glazing—or even a policy to keep their doors closed in cold weather?

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