Small industrial and trade units are often over-designed for articulated lorries that will never visit, or under-designed for the rigid trucks that will. The right answer starts with who will occupy the units.
Choose the right design vehicle
- Vans. The bulk of deliveries to small units and trade counters.
- Rigid lorries. Common for building supplies and stock deliveries.
- Articulated lorries. Only where occupiers genuinely need them, such as larger distribution units.
The council will want to see that the largest vehicle likely to use the site can enter, turn and leave in forward gear. Agree the design vehicle with the highways officer, and explain why.
Common problems
- Turning areas that rely on empty parking spaces
- Vehicles reversing onto the public road
- Staff and customer parking blocking loading areas
- Gates set too close to the road, so lorries wait on the highway
Parking
Business parking standards vary between councils and often depend on the use class. Flexible units may need to show the parking works for more than one type of occupier.
Trips
Small business units generate modest traffic, spread through the day. Recognised trip rate data for similar sites usually shows that the network impact is not the issue. Access and servicing design are.
General information, not advice on a specific site. Policy and guidance correct as of October 2026.