Londoners will be forced to compete for the space to park their cars within ten years, according to a new report on housing and parking in the city.

The London Housing Federation predicts that London will have 280,000 extra cars by 2016, as the city’s population swells by 800,000 over the same period. However, the high cost of land in the capital means that the majority of new housing developments will have limited parking.

The number of private parking spaces in London has remained the same since 1999; meanwhile in central London the number of restricted on-street parking spaces has fallen by 27% and unrestricted on-street spaces have fallen by 9%. Experts predict parking will increasingly become a source of conflict between neighbours competing for limited spaces.

The No Parking report, which attempts to make developers think creatively about making limited or zero parking work on higher density housing schemes, says London’s increasing population density and lack of available space mean existing levels of car ownership are unsustainable.

However, the report shows that Londoners remain strongly attached to their cars. A survey of potential homebuyers in west London revealed that more than half (51%) would not buy a home with no parking provision. Of these, 53% said they might be tempted to give up their car if they lived close to good public transport.

However, at present, dissatisfaction with public transport is high, with 43% of potential homebuyers surveyed disagreeing with the statement: ‘public transport where I live is reliable, frequent, comfortable and good value for money.’

No Parking includes examples of how housing associations are promoting alternatives to car ownership. These include car clubs, where members can hire a car at a reasonable hourly rate, and car sharing, where a group of residents share lifts.

Kate Dodsworth, Regional Manager, London Housing Federation, said: "Most households, in all kinds of housing, aspire to car-ownership. Even in parts of the capital, transport infrastructure and access to amenities simply isn’t good enough to persuade people to ditch their cars."

"However, space is such a precious commodity in London that more and more new homes do not have any parking. "We urge house builders to think creatively about alternatives to car ownership when designing new homes."

"Rather than accept increasing car-ownership as inevitable, we should focus on the many benefits of limited parking for both private and social housing – cleaner air, reduced congestion, a more attractive visual environment and healthier residents."