It's more prevalent on terraced and similar streets where the houses were built long before anyone had the faintest idea of how popular cars would become, and long before the population increases of the last 20 years were instigated without any planning.

I can accept busy streets like that when the houses were built well before cars were as popular as they are now. It's the new build estates that are annoying where they squeeze as many houses into as small a place as possible and don't allow anywhere near enough parking for people even though they full well know most households will ahve one if not more cars.

Just to say, for those criticising builders for reducing the number of parking spaces ...

After 1997, the Labour Gov't introduced new regulations which greatly limited the number of parking spaces to be provided to new dwellings. This was to 'encourage' people to use public transport, walk, cycle, etc. Exactly the same thinking was used for industrial / office areas, with limited parking being provided.

(I know this because my brother owned a medium-sized construction company, buying land and developing sites for sale. He used to fume about the new requirements, which were brought in with absolutely no consultation)

I agree with what's been said - I live on a relatively 'new build' (about 13 years old) development about 5 mins walk (and about 200m as the crow flies) from my local station, built on previously industrial land.

It was designed as a 'home zone' development (a dutch 'invention' I believe) where the roads are narrower, many have no pavements (house having about a metre of front garden backing straight onto the road) so people are supposed to 'share' the roadway with vehicles, apparently making them (the vehicles that is) slow down and pay more attention.

Together with that, the developer had to adhere to the government (thanks Labour, BTW) and local authority planning rules/restrictions (supposedly to 'encourage public transport usage' - the problem is, it doesn't go everywhere or carry heavy loads/shopping), which as has been stated restrict most developments to 1 parking space per flat (about the half of the 2 bed flats are occupied by couples, most having a car each), houses (all terraced town houses) with mostly two spaces (a few with only one!), even the 4/5 bed ones. Those with an actual drive and garage (2 spaces) of course rarely use the garage to park one of their cars (too much of a chore, and the garage is used to store stuff as the houses are far smaller than ones with similar numbers of bedrooms built before the 1980s. Add to that children growing up and by 17/18 wanted a car for themselves, never mind people who drive work-owned vehicles as well as have their own car.

A recipe for disaster at the opening of the development (I moved in after 3 years) as no 'allocated spaces' were marked on the space themselves (only the leasehold documentation), the roads aren't (and were allowed to be build ready in the knowledge they could never be) council-adopted and there were no parking controls in place, plus the added 'bonus' of being near the station, attracting freeloaders not wanting to pay £7 a day up the road.

Cars, vans and even an artic lorry! (only cars, bikes and small vans are allowed by the lease) were parked all over the place - on the few kerbs/pavement/grass (ruining that - at the development's expense). One guy in a flat (one allocated space only) had 3 cars and a large van parked here! Once the residents finally got control of the development, we marked up all the bays (including the miserly 20% that were visitor spaces) and instituted parking control - things have improved a lot, but we find it difficult to keep parking firms on board as we always want the ability to recind any ticket we feel is unjust (mainly for new residents or first offenders [espcially visitors] - not for ourselves!), as most firms just want to ticket ad-infinitum and not recind any (in the unfair way as seen regularly on 'Watchdog'). Being 'fair' apparently just does make firms money - so we change them every few years when they get bored (we'd rather everyone obey the sensible rules and not be ticketed) and stop coming to do their rounds.

Needless to say, the properties (particularly the houses) sell for far less than older ones, partly because they are smaller (for the same number of bedrooms), but also because of the lack of parking spaces. They are also more difficult to sell, mainly to first time buyers or those with new families. I'm one of the people who've lived there the longest (nearly 10 years - in a 2 bed flat [only me, so OK on the allocated space]) - most stay only for about half that, even less if the general market is bouyant.

Sounds a bargain, but many people have to borrow a lot to move up the ladder or accept they (and their kids) won't all be able to have a car if they stay. Off-development street parking is very restricted and can be risky as residents cannot see their vehicles, leaving them vulnerable to theft/damage (not a huge problem locally, but we have spells of crimes).

Basically new developments like mine aren't someone to 'put down roots', but just 'somewhere to live' until something better comes along once you can afford it. People parking where they shouldn't is, unfortunately, a sad fact of modern living, which we all have to bare or do something about (which, from personal experience as a development resident director [effectively an unpaid MP with no perks or help], is quite hard, tiring, endless and mostly thankless!).

Sorry for going on a bit - I built up quite a head of steam there!

I don't think spaces should get larger to accommodate larger cars and other vehicles like double cabs - that's a bit like saying train/plane seats should be made larger (at the passenger's expense [not cheap at all, especially for car parks]) to accommodate obese people (it would also reduce the number of seats available). Have a few larger spaces available, but make 'em pay for the priviledge.

Its not as though most of us need bigger cars than we would've done 20 years ago in the same position - in my view, its just laziness from us and the manufacturers that have lead to this.

What I think should be done is that car parks should be designed on the 'herringbone' principle (and well as to ensure a safe and easy way to navigate around and park/walk), so that ingress and egress into/from spaces is far easier and quicker, resulting in less accidents and quicker turnaround of shoppers (more profits to the shops and more time for us to do other things/less stress [good for when you leave the car park and drive home/onwards]). It works - I've seen so first hand at a few motorway services car parks that have used this system.

One point- in Bermuda residents are only allowed to own ONE car. Of course, no Government or (Council?) would have the guts to apply this rule in the UK-but by golly it would certainly accelerate some proper thinking.

The planning provisions outlined above sought to achieve the same end. The problem is that such control is utterly incompatible with modern lifestyles. And I don't mean leisure I mean peoples ability to do what's required to make a living.

I believe there is such a byelaw in place for London. It is illegal to cause an unnecessary obstruction of the highway, this does not just relate to motor vehicles, but finding someone, including a police officer, who is prepared to make a decision to prosecute for such an offence is unlikely in this day and age.

My understanding too. Pavement parking prohibited unless signage permits.

If the cost of car ownership doubled , if not tripled or even quadrupled over and above inflation-then what would be the implications?

I suspect it will, how else are the goverement going to reverse the defecit let alone even make a dent in the spiralling to third world standard national debt.

We'll still keep paying, some of us will find alternatives to try to minimise state theft, but most will shrug, pay up, continue as before and vote for more of the same every five years.

What is wrong with these people?

To some it involves steering, which some do not like doing, as reversing,they have a distinct hate for reversing (possibly because they are unable to) or just plain lazy,or have a motor they are not able to control properly(a lot of that about these days)

But people now have a habit of parking anywhere they feel like, without any thought for others, and I dont see that changing anytime soon...