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Bicycle Parking Guidelines
Information Sheet 4
Bicycle Parking Guidelines
This leaflet offers advice and guidance to developers on providing for bicycle parking within new developments. It should be read in parallel with similar leaflets covering car and motorcycle parking.
Cycling offers a cost effective and environmentally friendly way of travelling. It is good for peoples health and cycle parking is cheaper to provide for than car parking. 42% of households in Sheffield do not have a car so providing for cyclists makes commercial sense for businesses, their staff and customers.
If people are to be encouraged to cycle the design of the parking facilities needs careful thought. Fear of theft is one of the biggest deterrents to cyclists. With this in mind cycle parking should be located:
- Where it has good all round visibility, ideally from office windows, local shops and passers-by.
- As close as possible to the main entrance(s) of buildings, but not so that it hinders or endangers pedestrians, especially the disabled. This may mean that cycle parking is located in a number of areas on larger sites.
- In well lit areas, with good lighting in the hours of darkness.
It is much better to design aesthetically pleasing cycle racks, lockers or buildings in a prominent position, than hide a utilitarian stand behind a building or within landscaping where it will not be used. Locating cycle parking within the main building can be an ideal solution. A well-designed cycle parking stand will include the following features:
- A high level of security for the whole bicycle and not just the front wheel. It is important that the whole frame and both wheels can be locked.
- To avoid damage to a bike the frame of the bike should be supported, not just the wheels.
- You should allow 2.0m length and 0.7m wide per bicycle, with adequate space to get to and from the bicycle. ‘Sheffield’ style stands should be spaced at 1.0m centres, if the stand is to be used both sides.
- Cycle stands should not be capable of being removed from the ground, fanged ends concreted into the ground are important.
- Good lighting and clear signing is essential.
- When cycles are likely to be parked for over 1 hour, then some form of weather protection is recommended, this should include a roof and protection on 3 sides, and designed to deter theft.
For larger developments the provision of shower/changing/drying facilities and lockers (to enable the storage of clothing and equipment) are important to encouraging cycling.
The Council has adopted cycle parking standards for a number of different types of developments, the minimum standards are set out below and are rounded upwards:
Use | Short stay | Long stay (covered) |
Food and Retail Warehouses | 1 space/1000m2 | 1 space per 40 staff |
Small Shops | 1 space | 1 space |
Cinema’s/Bingo Halls etc. | 1 space per 80 seats | 1 space per 20 staff |
Other D2 uses | N/a | Operational only |
B1 including Offices | 1 space/1000m2 | 1 space/350m2 |
Industrial/Warehouses | 1 space/5000m2 | 1 space per 40 staff |
Higher Education | 1 space per 10 students | 1 space per 40 staff |
Housing | N/a | 1 space per dwelling |
Student/Nursing Housing | 1 space per 20 residents | 1 space per 2 residents |
Long stay parking is mainly for commuting cyclists. Security and protection from the elements is essential. Ideally this should be provided within a building.
Short stay parking is aimed at visitors, security is essential and ideally the parking should be located no further than 30m from a main building entrance
For other uses please enquire by contacting 0114 273 6130.
Please note that these guidelines have been adopted on an interim basis and will be reviewed again when the Unitary Development Plan is updated.
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