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Is there any way to check if a house has right of access onto a road? New house keeps putting 'poilite' notice on any cars that park on the street near their door and we are all getting fed up!

115 replies

Sheepareawesome · 06/10/2020 18:21

It's kind of a parking one, although I am one of the parkers in this scenario!

Our village has very limited on-road parking. Our street has parking on one side only as it's not wide enough for both. Recently, as in about a year or 2 ago, a new house was built on the end of the road in an area where there was previously public amenities with no vehicle access from the street and a low wall the whole length of the side on the road. As in, there was parking along the whole side of the plot on the street along the wall.

The new house was built with a side entrance from the pavement, a front gate with parking inside the plot which has dropped kerb access, and has a front door which opens directly onto a small area running alongside the house beside the street with a low wall. The builders have put in an opening in this wall by the door, so you can walk straight in the door off the street however there is no pavement and it is historically a part of the street that is allocated to parking.

Since the house was occupied, every time someone parks there, in front of the front door but - importantly - NOT blocking their access to the door, or their side entrance, or their gate wide enough to drive their car it, the owners have been leaving a note on the cars. Every. flipping. time. It is titled 'polite note' and says please don't block the door.

The rest of us in the street think they are ridiculous, since a) the car doesn't block access to their door as you can't park too close to the wall anyway, otherwise the doors wouldn't open b) the road is designated as parking so - gasp - cars park there and c) they have 2 other accesses anyway.

They have become a bit of a joke tbh and today I lost the plot when I found another note on my car - some of the neighbours were opposite shaking their heads saying what are the homeowners playing at there is plenty of room etc etc. I had parked quite a way back, maybe with the nose only over a few inches of the gap in the all and in no way blocking any access - they could fit an elephant through the gap! I ripped up the note and threw it at their front door (not my finest moment I admit) but I am so fed up after more than a year of them thinking they have the right to stop cars parking on the street. I know the builder who did the house by reputation and I very much doubt they bothered to get the proper permission to grant pedestrian access from the side of the road and there is no kerb, dropped kerb etc that we are blocking. Surely you can't just decide to knock a hole in a wall alongside a road and then claim no parking?!

Does anyone know if there is any way of checking this? There are no 'proper' signs to say not to park there, and even when cars do they are not blocking the access anyway which is the weird bit?! Would it be in the planning on the local council? Or would it be the highways agency?

If they are in the right, then I will of course refrain from parking there although that would be a major pain in the arse.

And no I have no diagram although I might try and work something up after dinner if you're nice to me GrinWink.

OP posts:
Itshissister · 06/10/2020 20:17

I have nothing to add apart from I thought CAR MINE was actually Cat Minge.

You are welcome. Confused

ClinkyMonkey · 06/10/2020 20:25

@Itshissister
I thought the sameGrinGrin

TheOrchidKiller · 06/10/2020 20:39

I was going to suggest you contact Planning, but also checking with Highways as someone else mentioned, is a good idea.

We live in a house where it can be tricky to get out of the drive sometimes if someone parks in front of our house. But they have a right to be there, so we don't stick notes on cars even though I might want to

Interested in this thread?

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Bikingbear · 06/10/2020 20:57

Given that info. I think I'd point it out to the Planning Authority that the wall hasn't been put back.

I would worry about them accidentally bashing cars as they squeeze past.

ulanbatorismynextstop · 06/10/2020 21:01

Do they struggle to get a buggy past the cars?

Essentially it looks like you're parking on adopted highway so you have a right. Just ignore them.

Sheepareawesome · 06/10/2020 21:02

I drive a 13 year old car and probably wouldn't even notice if they bashed it up! I might try a note first. It's odd we haven't seen them really - it is a small place and people usually bump into each other. I know most of the street by sight. Maybe they're too busy looking out of their windows waiting for someone to park....

OP posts:
Azif · 06/10/2020 21:09

I absolutely love your diagram. 10/10 Grin

LimaFoxtrotCharlie · 06/10/2020 21:09

Looks like you are obstructing access to their front door and shouldn’t park there

NothingIsWrong · 06/10/2020 21:12

I'm pretty sure that creating a gate in a wall is permitted development so the planners won't be bothered about that. You can't build a new wall adjacent to the highway that is over 1m tall (unless you are a school), but if the wall was already there then the gate is permitted development.

Unless it's all listed?

NothingIsWrong · 06/10/2020 21:14

Extract from the relevant document.

However, there is no link between planning and access. You could create a gate onto land you don't own and it wouldn't give you the right to access that land. I think checking ownership of the road is probably the way to go.

Is there any way to check if a house has right of access onto a road?  New house keeps putting 'poilite' notice on any cars that park on the street near their door and we are all getting fed up!
Sheepareawesome · 06/10/2020 21:15

No gate just a space. The wall is under 1m but the planning clearly said rebuild it and showed it with no gaps. Kit listed but in conservation area. Plans included photos of other walls that it needed to look like. A solid line on the plan, no space.

OP posts:
Sheepareawesome · 06/10/2020 21:18

They removed the original wall to get the house built but then rebuilt it, using the same stones. That was a condition of the planning permission.

Oh and random fact, my phone keeps trying to autocorrect line to lube. Think I am on mn too much....?! Grin

OP posts:
Sheepareawesome · 06/10/2020 21:19

@Azif

I absolutely love your diagram. 10/10 Grin
Thanks, took me ages.... Grin
OP posts:
Bodyguardbill · 06/10/2020 21:20

I think access rights and planning are red herrings here. I think as you are parking on adopted highway, it's the highway code that's relevant. Rule 243 states that you shouldn't block an entrance to a property. I don't know enough about this to know if this means pedestrian access as well as vehicular, but if you're leaving enough room for them to be able to access on foot at that point I'd have thought you would be ok.

Veterinari · 06/10/2020 21:24

@LimaFoxtrotCharlie

Looks like you are obstructing access to their front door and shouldn’t park there
Looks like you need to read the thread and review access rights before posting
sunshinesupermum · 06/10/2020 21:24

MrsMigginsMate is correct. Thy should be reported.

MrsAmaretto · 06/10/2020 21:26

If you’re really annoyed report them to the planning enforcement officer?

Sheepareawesome · 06/10/2020 21:29

Not really annoyed, just fed up with the notes! I mean, they have really put a lot of work into them. All handwritten, different ones each time. You'd have thought they would have made up a laminated one to reuse or something!?

OP posts:
Ginfilledcats · 06/10/2020 21:40

I have nothing to add except that my favourite part of this whole thread is the inclusion of your torn note on the diagram. You win mumsnet tonight

Sheepareawesome · 06/10/2020 21:46

@Ginfilledcats

I have nothing to add except that my favourite part of this whole thread is the inclusion of your torn note on the diagram. You win mumsnet tonight
Why thank you! I have been here for over 10 years and am so boring I never say or do anything worthy of comment. That means a lot!!GrinShockBlush
OP posts:
JacobReesMogadishu · 06/10/2020 21:48

Tell them if they want there to be no parking there they must apply to the council for a “H bar” to be painted on the road. Otherwise you can park there. They’ll never get one, I struggled to get the council to agree to one over my drive even though fuckers parked there all the time.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 06/10/2020 21:56

Access protection markings are advisory only and not enforceable. If it’s a public road and there are no yellow lines or other parking restrictions, you can park there.

Is it a car access gate or just for pedestrians?

Sheepareawesome · 06/10/2020 21:59

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar

Access protection markings are advisory only and not enforceable. If it’s a public road and there are no yellow lines or other parking restrictions, you can park there.

Is it a car access gate or just for pedestrians?

Just pedestrians. They have car access on the left over the dropped kerb.
OP posts:
Sheepareawesome · 06/10/2020 21:59

No lines on the road at all.

OP posts:
CamillasHardHat · 06/10/2020 22:35

Definitely report them to the council for breaching planning, especially in a conservation area.

If they hadn't left notes you would have 🐝 unaware of their breach.

I loved the ripped note. Extra brownie points for you.

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