A friend regularly has problems with parents who are taking children to and from the nearby village school parking across his gateway, making it impossible for him to get his car into or out of his driveway. I?ve suggested that he copies what I?ve seen outside three houses that are opposite a rural school near me, which is white lines on the road across the ends of the driveways. The lines are about a foot out from the edge of the road and are in the shape of an H elongated sideways, and they appear to effectively deter inconsiderate parking. I?ve suggested that now is a good time to do it because the schools are on holiday and the paint would have more time to dry! However, said friend is dubious about his right to paint lines on the road. Is it an offence to paint lines on the road, and if so what would be the likely penalty ~ a fine, payment of cost of removal by the authorities etc.?
--
L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
|
No idea as to the legality but it sure does't sound legal!
Is it the same lot of parents? If so, your friend may be as well havng a quiet word and saying how it's impossible to get his car out.
A friend has a similar problem but it's the same person parking on his front all the time. The above failed so he parked his car outside of his own drive but you can't do that all the time. As soon as he moves his, the bloke parks out there again.
In the end, he waited for the bloke to park outside his front and started to reverse his car as the bloke was getting out. The bloke did nothing until my mate got out of his car and started screaming that he needed to get to hospital and that the...ahem - gentleman should get the hell off his driveway.
He never parked there again.
I'll grant you - not the most practical thing to do but I would have liked to have been there.
--
Adam
|
I had problems like this when I was at university. People used to park in our street to go to work in the city centre, frequently over our drive. My plan was to buy a wheel clamp and clamp their car, leaving a note under the windscreen that there was no charge for the removal of the clamp, they just had to knock on my door and apologise for blocking my driveway.
I never got around to trying it though.
|
<< My plan was tobuy a wheel clamp and clamp their car, leaving a note under the windscreen that there was no charge for the removal of the clamp, they just had to knock on my door and apologise for blocking my driveway.
I'll do a Google for wheelclamps! But that then raises the question of whether it's legal to clamp someone's car willy nilly!
--
L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
|
I'll do a Google for wheelclamps! But that then raises the question of whether it's legal to clamp someone's car willy nilly! -- L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
I'd put money on it being illegal. I'd guess it would only be legal if they were parking on private property and there were clear signs displayed warning of clamp-usage. Public property no sign = illegal.
Whether or not they'd call the police, of course, is another question since they've broken the law by parking where they have, you're not trying to extort money from them, you've already made it clear you'll remove the clamp if they ask you to, and you've caused no damage.
|
|
|
Wasnt it on here that someone stated that you can block a drive to prevent the houseowner getting back onto the drive, but blocking a drive and preventing exit is tantamount to imprisonment?
Around us we have very narrow roads, it is not parking across the drive that it the problem, but parking a car opposite a driveway is sufficient to effectively prevent access to a driveway. On application to council, a white line with end bars (as described by Monsiuer Le Snail) but with the addition of 'Keep Clear' markings along the line has appeared which seems to have fixed the problem.
StarGazer
|
Thanks Stargazer, that sounds to be the best solution. But who paid for the white line ~ was it the council or the householder?
--
L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
|
|
Once saw a man break a cars window when it was parked across his drive blocking his exit, open the door, release the handbrake and push it out of the way.
The owner called the police and they did nothing, advising that he had taken reasonable force move the offending car.
Do this at your own risk though - I can take no responsibility your actions.
|
Once saw a man break a cars window when it was parked across his drive blocking his exit, open the door, release the handbrake and push it out of the way.
Unfortunately there is usually a row of parents' cars so there often isn't the scope for moving one sufficiently to allow entry/exit.
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
|
|
If I remember correctly, if there is dropped curb allowing access to your driveway then the offending motorist parked across your drive is committing an offence. Obstructing/Blocking a Right of Way.
|
If I remember correctly, if there is dropped curb allowing access to your driveway then the offending motorist parked across your drive is committing an offence. Obstructing/Blocking a Right of Way.
Technically, perhaps. But I'm sure that the police would soon get fed up with you ringing up umpteen times a week to report the matter. Assuming that it is the police you should be ringing and not your solicitor.
--
L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
|
Put that paintbrush away or aisle lav ee Janner.
A person, who without the consent of the Highways Authority or authorisation under an enactment or a reasonable excuse, paints or otherwise inscribes of affixes any picture, letter, sign or other mark upon the surface of a highway is guilty of an offence.
2,500 pound fine.
Section 132 Highways Act 1980
Wait until it occurs again and then approach the offender politely and explain difficulty. Sounds as if Headmaster/mistress
wants to be made aware and note to parents through their cherubs.
DVD
|
|
Why not speak to the school ?
We are on a narrow lane leading to a village school, the school is always supportive of residents when parking by parents is an issue.
My parents live on a main road where parking is problematic and on request the council painted a white line outside their drive.
I am reminded by another post that also in the village there was a recent case where a resident moved in and regularly parked his new merc e class obstructing other people.
Despite the fact that there have been many flasher, rarer and more expensive cars parked on street in the village the merc was the only one keyed. 4 times I think.
|
First, try asking the parker, politely, not to park there, explaining why it is inconvenient. Then you have at least got the moral high ground.
If that doesn't work there are a number of things that I have been told have been done to cars.
1. put a polite notice on the windscreen.
2. GLUE a polite notice on the windscreen.
3. Smear Vaseline on the windscreen, side windows and door handles.
4. Glue the windscreen wipers to the windscreen.
And so on - none of the aforementioned have done any damage to the car.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The white lines across driveways have to be painted by the council. You can put in an application and I'd imagine they would allow it. The local council here said I wouldn't get a line unless I was either ancient of disabled but sure enough one appeared a few weeks after I mentioned the inconsiderate cretins that used to park and block the drive. I still find big vans parked right up to the line which makes pulling out safely really tricky.
School run parents can be the most selfish and inconsiderate parkers. I used to have to drive passed a school and I frequently found they'd pull up right in front of me and block the road even though I was actually driving along it at the time!
It is also worth evidence gathering and taking pictures of the offending vehicles so that you can say 'this person parked here at this time'. Then take the complaints to the school and get them to write to all parents reminding them of their responsibility to park legally.
teabelly
|
School run parents can be the most selfish and inconsiderate parkers. I used to have to drive passed a school and I frequently found they'd pull up right in front of me and block the road even though I was actually driving along it at the time!
It's the "I'm a mother, dammit" factor. Point out to one of them that the yellow zig-zags are there to prevent children being killed, not to provide them with a handy parking spot and all you get back is "do you have a child?"
No, I don't. But if I did I wouldn't make them wear a beret to school you sadistic cow.
|
I am blessed with three children and take them to school (well two of them) reasonably regularly - the wife takes them other times in case you are wondering.
We have an informal system that says no parking in the layby in front of school - that is for dropping off only and we have a rota for people to open car door and let teh cherubs out whilst the parent remains in the car.
Also the road is an informal one-way at drop off and pick up times, so few jams, unless a person who is not aware of the 'rule' comes along the opposite way!
However, whilst most park well, a minority are the 'I have a flash car and I'll park where I damn well like' brigade. There is nothing you can do other than sigh and take the high moral ground.
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
|
The School my children go to is blighted by moronic parking.
These morons drive onto & park on the pavements as you are walking down them, often almost hitting you in the process.
They park so far onto the pavement that pedestrians often need to walk on the road.
The Police have been informed & have paid visits, as have traffic wardens, but with no result what so ever.
Parents have even parked, with no result what so ever, in the zig zag area in front of the school with a Police officer 3 feet away.
In my experience if you want something done, you will have to do it yourself.
|
it is illegal to obstuct a driveway or entrnace where the Kerb has being dropped to allow access.
We had similar problems a few years ago both at work and my girlfriends,in the latter instance the neighbour was obstructing and the claimed they had a right--soon sorted by a nice Policeman it never happened again--read the Highway code.
At my place of work in those days the council painted white lines,or you could always put a sign along the lines of "please do not obstruct as in constant use".
|
"Kerb has being dropped to allow access."
Does anyone know what is required to get the kerb dropped - planning permission from a local authority?
I ask, as I understand from our local authority that anyone can turn their front garden into a driveway if they so choose (no permission required)...so was wondering about the vital bit of the kerb dropping, or as I have seen elsewhere a tarmac "ramp" formed to ease the access without having to drop the kerb.
TIA.
|
PLanning permission is required and it may not necesarily be given; it depends where the access is going to be in relation to junctions . Also, the council's contractors I think need to do the work and it costs!
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
|
Espada,
Thanks for the confirmation. It's not my driveway I hasten to add ;-)
Graham.
|
yes I confirm that you do require permission,contact your local council highways department whom will oblige-and oh they will charge you for the drop should they confirm,you can DIY!
|
I have heard that it costs £300 to get the council to 'drop your kerb', as long as they give permission first of course.
|
Beware that if you have lines painted outside your house then you probably won't be able to use the road outside your house for parking either.
Also, don't do DIY clamping as you won't be registered under the (DVD can correct me) Private Security Firms Act.
|
A drop kerb access requires permission from your local council highways department. DIY is not an option as any contractor needs to have adequate insurance cover to work on the public highway. Only the local council or an approved contractor can put in 'drop kerb' access. My local council charges about £1500 to put in the drop kerbs and add a concrete 'run in' across the pavement!
|
Seems a lot of money for something relatively straight forward to do.
|
|
As the others have said, the Council will employ contractors to do the work and charge you, this is so the work is carried out to highway standard as well as they being insured to work on the highway.
One other fly in the ointment may be the off road space you have available as my local council insist that if you are on a main road then you have to have space to turn the vehicle on your property. The reason being that they stipulate that you cannot reverse off the road into the drive against the flow of traffic nor can you reverse onto the road from your driveway.
You will find most councils have details on their websites.
|
If you live on a classified road (A, B or C) planning permission is required for a new access to the road (including dropped kerb). On other roads planning permission is not normally required for a residential access, unless its linked to some other form of development.
Consent is also required from the highway authority, assuming it is an adopted highway, otherwise the landowner.
I don't know about actually carrying out the work (and I haven't dealt directly with these types of planning applications for a little while so the rules may have changed slightly).
There will probably be details on the Council website, or you may find something at www.planningportal.gov.uk.
|
|
|
|
|