Village Hall car park

[Littleredhouse]

Three times a week I drive my son to his school in the next village before going to the station to get the train to work. We always park in village hall car park, walk to school and then I jump on the train - and then pick up the car after work.

I have a permit from school which allows me to park there - I'm guessing it's meant for pick ups and drop offs, but I've always parked there for the day without any problems. The commuter car park is always full by the time I get there, and there is no parking anywhere else in the village due to restrictions. The village hall car park is always less than half full.

Recently I've had 2 notices on the car from the village hall stating that it's for people using the hall only and that I may get clamped.

My questions are 1. AIBU to park here? 2. Can they clamp me? (There's a gate on the car park and a sign that says if you're there after the last event you may be locked in, but nothing about clamping)

[RunningOutOfCharge]

What's the permit from school all about? Do they have an agreement with village hall?

While you are working during the day then that car park probably gets busier?

[GhoulsFold]

When you say 'notices' are they official notices from a parking security company, or just hand written notes? Is this village hall regularly used, like on a daily basis? Does your permit from the school specify that it's only to be used for drop offs / pick ups?

[existentialmoment]

Nobody here can tell you. Do they know you have a permit from school? Does the permit allow you to park there all day? Are the school even allowed to permit you to park there all day, do they own the car park?

I would have thought that no, you should not be parking there all day but without proper signage and warnings they will not be able to clamp you. It's just a guess though and no-one can tell you. Talk to whoever owns the car park.

[picklemepopcorn]

I don't know about clamping, but YABU to park their if the hall doesn't want you to. I'm sure they have events on in the day which fill the car park.

If you want to park there, try offering a sensible amount for an annual pass.

[RunningOutOfCharge]

You need to find somewhere new to park....yabu it seems

[liquidrevolution]

I think you are abusing the use of the car park tbh.

I try and go to a playgroup in a village hall. We have to all drive as we live rurally and the car park can only take 10 cars so we usually have to double park or park on a rural lane that is a cut through for a main road.

I am usually the last to leave and there are 4 cars permanently parked there. I often drive there and then go home as the parking is so bad. Worst case scenario - Your car could mean a mum with pnd and twins having to park in a lane with low visibility and then having to carry said twins into the village hall. Or perhaps an elderly person not being able to get to their weekly social. Or perhaps someone has hired the hall for a fitness class and there is not enough space for paying users to park.

I am probably projecting a bit and Im sure you will come back and say there is loads of parking space and its in the centre of a large village with pavements and all sorts of luxuries that I can only dream of but you are still inconveniencing the users of the hall by being there all day.

[SteampunkPrincess]

• I'm guessing it's meant for pick ups and drop offs, but I've always parked there for the day without any problems.
  

i think theres your answer - its a bit off you using the car park all day
i'm in the YABU camp here)

[Littleredhouse]

Thanks for the replies.

No, it's just a typed up note on a computer stating that it's for hall users only, not a one from a company.

I have the school permit displayed in the car - it doesn't state length of time on there but I would think it's just meant for drop offs and pick ups.

I am back most of the time for school pick ups, so by 3.30 and the car park is generally not even half full. The fact I parked there for over a year without problems would suggest it's not a space issue, more someone has got a bee in their bonnet about me parking there. I could approach them but I guess if they said no, I wouldn't be left with anywhere to go...

[Hissy]

Our parking permit for junior school allowed only for afternoons for an hour, and the agreement was that we were able to park until 9am

Our permit stated the permitted time though, does yours?

You need to contact the Village Hall though. I guess that the permit is for drop offs only.

[Blahblahboo]

I don't understand why you don't just drive to work? Seems a bit silly to have a car and get a train

[coddiwomple]

First you should check with whoever issued the permit what exactly this permit entitles you to do and go from there.

[FoodGloriousFud]

I think yabu. Just because it's quiet when you go back for your car doesn't mean it's been that quiet all day. Maybe new groups or classes have started lately so it's more obvious that people can't park?

[Groovee]

Does the church hall get used during the day. You may be blocking actual users of the hall from parking there.

[CotswoldStrife]

YABU. You never use the hall yet you take up a parking space there three days a week. It's the Village Hall car park - if you're not using the hall then don't park there.

So to answer your questions - yes, YABU. Yes, they could clamp you, whether it would be legal without signs up to say so is not really the issue because if you come back to a clamped car then you are stuck!

[JeffreySadsacIsUnwell]

Our village hall car park is used by school parents for pickup and drop off. From 8.45-9.05 and again 2.50-3.15 the car park is full. At 9.05 or 2.45 you might think the car park isn't used during the day - there'll be 3 or 4 cars there.

However, what someone who then goes off to work doesn't see is the car park filling up again 9.15-9.40 and 11.50-12.10 for pre-school pickup and drop-off, 10-11 for yoga/Pilates/bridge in the smaller hall and 1-2.30 for regular toddler activities/elderly residents' societies.

If you can't park in the VH car park, you need to park on a lane with no pavement. A significant proportion of the daytime users are either very young or very old and need space to open doors and a safe route to the VH. Many of the pre-school/toddler mums also have younger children they have to put in buggies whilst taking the toddlers/preschoolers in.

Your permit is from the school for school drop-off. By abusing it in this way, you are risking the VH telling the school that parents can no longer park there for drop-off and pick up.

[WindwardCircle]

Sorry, it you're BU. You only see the car park in the morning and late afternoon. During the day they could well be having toddler group, pensioners lunch club, private hires and so on and you parking there all day is then an issue. Even if the hall is never used during the day it's still private land and they have a right to tell you to stop. You're going to have to find somewhere else to park.

[ProfYaffle]

Same as Jeffrey. Our village hall lets parents park for drop off and pick up but not through the day as it's used for other things. The people who pay to rent it during the day are paying for the parking too. If parents were parked there, it'd disadvantage paying users.

You need to clarify with the village hall itself.

[whatsthecomingoverthehill]

They can't clamp you, that was made illegal. But you're still taking the piss.

[lljkk]

It's private property & you're abusing the deal school worked out with the Hall. Sorry, but you gotta park somewhere else during the day. I seem to recall there are private parking spaces you can find to use... Parkopedia? You could park on someone's driveway in same village just pay £1 a day for the same privilege.

[StripyBlanket]

Why don't you speak to them and offer to pay for parking there? I'm sure they could do with the extra income. Otherwise yabu to park there

[unfortunateevents]

You are abusing the facility which very obviously is meant by the village hall as a way of supporting the school and helping alleviate parking problems at school times, help the safety of the children etc. You are not the only parent who has to drop-off and then get to work, with problems parking at the station, or in a company car park etc. If you abuse the facility, what's to stop everyone else doing so?

[iseenodust]

Our village hall charges £100 per year to village residents who want a permanent parking space. Otherwise it is supposed to be for village hall users.

Parking in villages for commuting can be a pain for residents. It got so bad in our village the county council put down yellow lines...but they are only applicable for one hour in the middle of the day.

[TimeIhadaNameChange]

There's the risk that, if you continue to leave your car there all day, they'll decide to rescind the offer to the school to allow parents to park there for ten mins a day and you will all have to find somewhere else to park.

YABVVVU

[thisismeusernameything]

YABU. You need to find somewhere else to park during the day. It's private property

[Sparklingbrook]

YABU, if it's a school permit then they aren't expecting you to park all day, just briefly drop off and pick up.

Plus I assume there are events on at the village hill throughout the day where people require parking, groups that have left before the school run in the afternoon.