Parking across a driveway

[Fieldsofsausages]

Can anyone tell me where I stand legally if I park across the entrance to someone's driveway?

To give some background, my neighbour can't use their driveway. It is too steep, and therefore any vehicle (unless it was a 4x4 type vehicle with a higher ground clearance) would scrape on the bottom. Most other neighbours have adapted their driveways to make them not so steep and therefore useable.

The parking where we live is limited, to compensate for this my neighbour could park across their driveway to create another space, however they refuse to do this.

So I thought, if there comes a time when there's nowhere else to park, perhaps I might park across their driveway.

To clarify, there is a dropped kerb allowing access to the driveway.

I believe that it's not illegal to block someone out, but it is illegal to block someone in.

Wrong.

Why do people think this ridiculous myth is true.

In some boroughs it is illegal to block a dropped kerb. In some others it is illegal to block a dropped kerb only if there is a corresponding one on the opposite side of the road. it is always illegal to block access to the highway which is why you can not block a drive with a car on it.

So they have a driveway but park two vehicles on the road instead? Or don't accept their driveway is unusable and park across it instead. This would annoy me

Yes, MintyMabel I don't understand this one at all. The Highway Code does simply say DO NOT stop or park in front of an entrance to a property. Nothing there to say 'block in' or 'block out'. Maybe it is an urban myth.

You've hit the nail on the head @Tombakersscarf

Of course, if there are double yellow lines, no one is allowed to park across the dropped kerb .

if the dropped kerb runs up onto a pavement how are people supposed to use it if they have mobility issues?

Our council has good guidance online. You can’t park across where we are without the owners permission or they can report you for a parking offence.

I’ve seen the warden giving out tickets for it.

Thank you @Molly2017, that's really helpful.

We have white lines at a cost of £80 and still get plenty of people ignoring them, hence why I’m familiar with the guidance where we are. I haven’t ever reported anyone though.
You could ask the neighbour, if you are on good terms.

how would emergency or delivery vehicles gain access

The drive is too steep for a car. Hardly going to be an issue for a fire engine, and since when did they or delivery vehicles park on a drive? They wouldn’t get on most because of cars parked there.

If the emergency services need to get in, they get in by any means.

Seems a bit off if your neighbour to me. If they can’t park on their drive because it’s too steep they could park across it to free up a space.

it is always illegal to block access to the highway which is why you can not block a drive with a car on it.

Wrong.

I wasn't exactly wrong was I? You think they should park across their drive if they aren't using it.

Yes, I do think they should be parking across their driveway if they're not using it. It has nothing to do with them parking outside my house.

That’s interesting Molly. My borough defines the drop down as starting from the point it starts to lower. And I have seen other boroughs define it as that to.

I don’t feel bad about reporting someone parking across my kerb. They never ask my permission and if I ask nicely for them not to do it in future, I get abuse. My neighbours know to ask everytime so I know who is there and if my drive is empty they ask and use the driveway if they need it. So now I just call and report. After a couple of tickets even the persistent CF parkers stop.

I've looked on a few different websites and never find anything conclusive

Radical suggestion I know, but how about you try the Highway Code website?

I have previously broached the subject of them parking across their driveway, they did for a few days and then stopped.

The man is friendly and we chat over the fence. The woman, however, is not so accommodating.

I have MintyMabel, but I haven't found anything to say it's illegal.

Fieldofsausages the Highway Code is very confusing in its ‘must nots’ and ‘do nots’. I had numerous CF Parkers tell me the Highway Code says it is not illegal. It is simply bonkers to have this confusion and lack of clarity.

So I checked my borough and they informed me it was in their bye laws as an ‘illegal’ park (again this is the phrase used by the parking planner and the engineer who oversees the department).

Thank you Winesalot. I think I may have to contact my local council for clarification, I can't find anything conclusive on their website.

Sadly you might have to email. I wasn’t able to get through to anyone on the phone until they read my email and called.

Well it's their drive and the public highway so it's not really your concern even if you find it irritating.

the Highway Code is very confusing in its ‘must nots’ and ‘do nots’

It really isn’t. Must not means it contravenes a particular Road Traffic Act regulation and you can be prosecuted under a specific act. Do not means it is advisory.