What does this mean? (Parking related)

[Topofthehills]

So I live in a flat in a set of terraced houses. There's residents' on-street parking on one side of the road only - sometimes I have to park elsewhere, but can usually manage to get a space more or less in the vicinity of my flat. Generally all the spaces are full - empty ones get taken quite quickly. All good generally.

Yesterday, some men in a van (not council or highways - plumbing, I think?) came and put cones in between all the parked cars. There is a faulty drain or something, so I'm not surprised they might do some work today. I saw them just as they were leaving, so didn't get a chance to ask.

But the cones have me stumped. Do they mean "please move your car"? Or "please don't move your car?" Or "once this space is vacated, please don't park in it"?

I'm actually moving out today/tomorrow so would prefer not to move my car to the next street if I can avoid it!

They should apply for a suspension of parking if they need cars to be moved. Why didn't you ask them as you watched them put the cones out?

They mean
We need this area clear for mending the drain, so once the space is vacated please leave it empty

Unless there's a sign on the lamp post from the council the cones have no legal status - I suspect they are working on a property and need to be close

Righto, thanks. No sign or anything to explain it, no notice through the door or anything either.

As I said in the original post, I noticed them just as they were leaving, so didn't get a chance to ask! They haven't been back yet.

A parking space has come free eight on the end, so I'll see if I can nab that and avoid needing to move later...