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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:
CamillasHardHat · 06/10/2020 22:36

So tired of my phone correcting been to a stupid bee. I am not 14, I have never used the bloody bee in anything I have written. Grrr.

Alternista · 06/10/2020 22:45

I’m just here to say I thought it said
Car - car minge - cow - car
Which quite frankly sounded like the shittest carnival procession ever.

But the inclusion of your ripped up note means you are not being unreasonable and should henceforth park wherever you like forever and ever, amen.

BentBastard · 06/10/2020 22:47

I also saw cat minge until I zoomed in.

That's it, that's my contribution.

Interested in this thread?

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Sundries · 06/10/2020 22:55

Raises hand

I also read the diagram as ‘mouse’, ‘cow’, ‘cat minge’, ‘cow’. It sounded like a rural vet’s surgery appointment book.

FlouncerInDenial · 06/10/2020 23:12

I luffs a happy ending to a parking thread. sighs contentedly

RefriedBeanz · 07/10/2020 08:13

I think we all agree that they’re batshit. You note sounds perfect Let’s see if they chill out with the threat of council!

On another note, full marks for the diagram. I especially love the ripped note! I mean, it’s not the most beautiful diagram ever but it’s clear and to the point.

CrotchetyQuaver · 07/10/2020 08:25

IME there is a certain OCD type of person that only buys new properties and doesn't want anyone parking on the public highway outside their house. So they pull stunts like this and upset everyone. I'd be minded to ignore it.
If they haven't rebuilt a wall, then you could report them to planning enforcement, but there's no guarantee they'll have to do the work.

I'd keep parking there, it's the public highway by the sounds of it and you are entitled to do so.

Berthatydfil · 07/10/2020 08:55

If you are in a conservation area then they may well be forced to replace the wall.

Dreading2020sSeasonFinale · 07/10/2020 09:54

I'd definitely go down the notifying planning route. They have to build the remainder of the wall back up and then they have to use the driveway to their right or the pavement that ends at the left of their property to come and go. Job done.

Auto · 07/10/2020 09:57

"IME there is a certain OCD type of person that..."

OCD is an illness, not a label to put onto any random person's selfish behaviour.

Giggorata · 07/10/2020 10:06

I too would like to add my appreciation of the ripped note in your diagram. Also, I love the way you have drawn the cars.
Best diagram ever.

GertiMJN · 07/10/2020 10:09

Whilst I don't think they have a legal right to stop anyone parking, I'm not sure they are "batshit". Presumably cars could park very close to the wall, across the gate making it difficult to get out of the gate?
If there is no front seat passenger there is no need to leave a gap to open a door?

Seeline · 07/10/2020 10:13

Is it an adopted road 9ie maintained by the Council) or a private road (where the residents have to pay for repairs etc)?

Planning won't have anything to do with access rights.

If it's an adopted, public highway you need to speak to the relevant Highway Authority. Depending on your local authority set up, that might be your local council, or it might be the County Council.

ethelredonagoodday · 07/10/2020 10:24

Yep speak to highways development control at your local council re: the access issue.
And planning re: the wall issue.

BentBastard · 07/10/2020 10:28

I don't think anyone believes that planning has anything to do with the parking situation. Only that planning docs suggest the gap in the wall shouldn't even be there making access to that gap moot because the gap is illegal and will (probably) need filling anyhow.

Sheepareawesome · 07/10/2020 10:51

Morning update - they had put both halves of the ripped-up note back under my windscreen wipers again! Such a PA move I am actually in awe of their nerve. Grin

And the side gate to the right opens onto the pavement and there is no wall in front of it, so cars park up against the pavement as they do along the whole street and there is space for pedestrians to go on the pavement and into that gate, although it opens into small access to the rear of the house so I doubt they would want to use that.

It is a public street, Highways do the street repairs (if you can call filling in potholes with tarmac that dips back out again almost immediately 'repairs'!!) and they have put in a couple of disabled spots on the road, so it is definitely 'their' road.

And GertiMJN, I do often have a passenger door to open, but sometimes I actually park facing the other way so need to open my door onto the wall. Which works in their favour actually as it means they get more space to get through their 'illegal' access.

OP posts:
Zaphodsotherhead · 07/10/2020 11:01

The only possible reason I can think of is that they have someone in a wheelchair or a double buggy that wants access through that side gap? But, surely, they could just go through the main gate (where the dropped kerb is)? In fact, they've got plenty of access through the main gate, so why do they even need the side gap? Is it just quicker?

Is it worth seeing if a friendly traffic warden or PCSO could pop in and have a word with them about the notes? It may take a uniform before they believe they don't have some kind of 'divine right' to access through their gap.

Either that or the builder has told them a pack of lies about access...

Nubbled · 07/10/2020 11:02

Put your own note on your car.

Impolite notice

I'm not blocking your sodding access.

SageRosemary · 07/10/2020 11:03

Now they are littering, report them to the litter warden!

CausingChaos2 · 07/10/2020 11:03

@CrotchetyQuaver

IME there is a certain OCD type of person that only buys new properties and doesn't want anyone parking on the public highway outside their house. So they pull stunts like this and upset everyone. I'd be minded to ignore it. If they haven't rebuilt a wall, then you could report them to planning enforcement, but there's no guarantee they'll have to do the work. I'd keep parking there, it's the public highway by the sounds of it and you are entitled to do so.
@CrotchetyQuaver IME there is a certain type of person who uses mental illness as a jibe.

OP. Yanbu to park there. Although I’m not sure they’ve done anything wrong by leaving a gap in the front wall.

Fingerbobs · 07/10/2020 11:04

Blatantly place-marking for developments.

steppemum · 07/10/2020 11:15

well, OP i am obviously on your side as you put the torn note on the diagram, and as they put the torn note bakc under your windscreen which is nuts.

BUT

they bought a house with a gap in the wall opposite their front door. From your diagram, if you park a car in front of that gap then they can't get in and out, especially with a buggy. So, if I was them I would be pretty cross if people kept blocking my entrance so I couldn't get in and out of my front door.
Again, they didn't know that the gap isn't supposed to be there.

With no pavement, and parking on the road that close to the gap, I wouldn't block their gap. It seems pretty antisocial.

By all means explain to them that the gap is not supposed to be there and it is an issue with the builder, and that the builder has annoyed the residents who park there, but I think from their point of view they are not really being unreasonable.

Sheepareawesome · 07/10/2020 11:24

@steppemum

well, OP i am obviously on your side as you put the torn note on the diagram, and as they put the torn note bakc under your windscreen which is nuts.

BUT

they bought a house with a gap in the wall opposite their front door. From your diagram, if you park a car in front of that gap then they can't get in and out, especially with a buggy. So, if I was them I would be pretty cross if people kept blocking my entrance so I couldn't get in and out of my front door.
Again, they didn't know that the gap isn't supposed to be there.

With no pavement, and parking on the road that close to the gap, I wouldn't block their gap. It seems pretty antisocial.

By all means explain to them that the gap is not supposed to be there and it is an issue with the builder, and that the builder has annoyed the residents who park there, but I think from their point of view they are not really being unreasonable.

We aren't trying to be antisocial, but there is nowhere else to park. We often already park several streets away from the house as there are about 30 houses, most with cars, and only on-street parking on one side of the road. If there is a space, people will (and always have) parked it in.

I get the annoyed bit and can see why, BUT that is surely what happens if you buy a house with no legitimate access from one part of it to the road.

It is no more annoying for them to use one of the 2 other accesses they have, and which are not blocked, than it is for the rest of us to have to park miles away from our houses - which in the rain with shopping is pretty flipping annoying - BUT we knew that when we bought the house so don't moan about it.

(Apart from the couple opposite who have 2 cars and when one goes out the other moves down to take up 2 spaces so no-one else can park there, then moves back when 1st car returns......we do moan about that. In private. Whilst greeting them politely in the street of course because it is much more British that way.) Grin

And although they may not know that they don't have access, I think they probably do - they bought from the builder so presumably would have seen the planning and registry details at the survey stage of the purchase, and also they have been writing 'polite notes' for a long time now - at least a year, probably longer. If they thought it was actually their right, they would have done something more about it by now. And they can also check online as I did last night if they are uncertain!

OP posts:
mumwon · 07/10/2020 11:36

write type/note laminate & stick inside their wall with copy of plans referring to the fact that they don't have permission for pathway access to door

RandomMess · 07/10/2020 11:48

Laminate a not and leave inside your windscreen when parked there

Fuck if with your notes and complete with the conservation order

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