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Original poster

Parking at new house

191 replies

catlady1234 · 14/10/2022 13:39

Hi,

We are in the process of buying a new house.
The house is opposite a primary school. I have some concerns about the parking,

The road has access time restrictions during pick up and drop off times (with signs & cameras) How can I check if they are being enforced? Iv noticed lots of cars driving down the road during the restricted times.

Also the house has a drive and dropped curb. Most of the neighbours don't have drives. When passing iv noticed people parking completely across the drive. How can I find out if this is a big problem? Can I find out if current resident has had to make a lot of official complaints (calls to council etc)

I'm worried it's going to cause of a lot of problems.

Thanks

OP posts:
AdverseXCamber · 14/10/2022 16:11

We discounted a lovely house because it was a couple of doors away from a primary school, parking is always an issue.

BeyondMyWits · 14/10/2022 16:15

We live round the corner from our local primary. Would say those who say it is only troublesome during drop off and pick up don't live near a "vibrant community hub" of a school with 2 large halls. There is always something on on an evening, always sports at the weekend , open days each term, parent participation days, the school is very popular...

PanPacificBallroomChampion · 14/10/2022 16:18

It’s going to be horrendous. My advice if the purchase is going ahead is to avoid being anywhere near the outside your home term time at school drop off and pick up else it will drive you crackers. Like a PP said, you couldn’t pay me to live near a school, parents that park outside schools are entitled CFers.

Couchpotato3 · 14/10/2022 16:20

It doesn't have to be a complete nightmare. We live in a road with both a primary and secondary school very near to our house. There are very busy times at drop-off and pick-up and we rarely (I won't say never...) have anyone park across our dropped-kerb. We tend not to be going in or out at those times, so it's rarely a problem. I very occasionally end up parking a little way from the house and moving the car later, but I really like my house and the parking situation is a very small inconvenience. It all depends on your personal situation and how much disruption it is going to cause you. If you are coming in or out at the busy times, it could be a massive problem. At least you are thinking about it before buying the house, but please don't be that neighbour who is always moaning and expecting the school to do something about it. You know what you're getting in to, so either suck it up, or don't buy.

CornedBeef451 · 14/10/2022 16:24

If parking bothers you then don't live near a school.

I can't help getting wound up about parking outside my house, even if it's not actually stopping me doing anything so the years we lived by a school were a nightmare.

Once someone parked on my actual drive and then was confused that I wanted to use it myself!

Or the many, many people who seemed confused that I might want to get onto my drive after picking up my own children on the way home from work.

Still makes me angry now and we moved 8 years ago!

mumda · 14/10/2022 16:26

To be fair it's only a problem during term time and even then only for about 40 minutes AM and PM.

And if they have any events. But apart from that.

NeedWineNow · 14/10/2022 16:33

We live in a village with a primary school in the village and the secondary school on the main road on the way in. It is horrendous at drop-off/pick up times. The secondary school is on quite a narrow road considering it is a main A road and parents park either side of the road all the way up to and on the road bridge thus holding up the buses and lorries as well as the other traffic that comes through the village. We frequently have gridlock, particularly at pick up time and we're not even near the school.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a house that close to a school.

bobtheveryoldBuilder · 14/10/2022 16:34

also people drive crazy on school pick up. I don't have to drive my kids but on the occasions when I do, everyone is driving like they're escaping a war zone.

No way Jose !

itsmeagainagain · 14/10/2022 16:38

blacksax · 14/10/2022 14:11

It really is surprising just how much damage a small quantity of sand can do to glass when it gets stuck under wiper blades.

(as I once found out when my car was parked near a beach on a very windy day)

😂

Norma27 · 14/10/2022 16:42

I live next door to a secondary school and drop off and pick up are awful. So many parents are totally inconsiderate.
It depends if you are at home during those times if it affects you. Hopefully if it is a restricted zone with cameras it won’t be too bad. I just try to remember that 13 weeks of the year the school is closed.
I have no time for illegal parking and will report them to the school and police. Especially on the no parking zig-zags. I am always delighted when I see the police there. They don’t need to even speak to them, they can just drive by then ticket them later:

Norma27 · 14/10/2022 16:44

Ha ha the pp above mentioning someone parking on the drive. I happened to be home one day and someone did this. He was most put out when I told him where to go! 🤣

Snowpaw · 14/10/2022 16:47

As others have said, it depends on your routine. If you work a 9-5 job out of the house its generally no bother as you're not around.

I lived on a road 30 yards from a primary school - it was fine for many years as I was out of the house most of the time. When I had a young child and then my working hours / routine changed it did cause some inconvenience sometimes (walking a bit longer to my door from my car) but honestly I loved the house and the area, and it was so convenient for many things that in the grand scale of things it didnt bother me and was worth the trade off. Its a factor to consider but not the only one.

ApathyMartha · 14/10/2022 16:47

I’ve had people block me in or make it difficult for me to get off my drive. However if you’re not around or not bothered for 2 x 20 (or 30 ) minutes a day then it’s tolerable

JudgeJ · 14/10/2022 16:47

Pipersouth · 14/10/2022 13:42

Sorry it’s bound to be a problem. Parents do just park everywhere at a rush as they have to get on.

If they 'have to get on' then they should organise themselves better rather than arrogantly inconveniencing the residents.

brainstories568 · 14/10/2022 16:52

My son's school has this, we are in London too. We received letters about it when it was in the consultation phase as we live a road further along (and have friends who lived opposite the school) and actually, it's worked out well. There doesn't seem to be much traffic aside from the people who live there at any time and fortunately (for us) people don't seem to have parked on the adjacent roads instead. The only time it has really ever been a problem for our friends was when someone did park across their drive (when it was first introduced) and they couldn't leave for work for 15 mins. It seems to be patrolled by parent volunteers but doesn't have cameras (I don't think) although as most people walk/cycle/bus (small catchment area) there perhaps just aren't enough cars for it to be a problem?

Conversely, my in laws live opposite a primary school outside of London and they complain about people parking in front of their dropped curb etc. But they just avoid using the car at busy times now (retired) and aren't nasty about it - they've lived there 40+ years, kids went to the school and father in law has been a governor for 25+ years. I can never understand why their road doesn't have the same restrictions as "our" road in London does tbh as it seems to work out well.

limitedperiodonly · 14/10/2022 16:53

I've never had a drive. When I had cars I parked them in the road not always outside my house and sometimes quite a long way round the corner.

But when people talk about their drives on Mumsnet are we talking about a big sweeping Downton Abbey-type job or a parking space on a paved bit of garden in front of the front door with a dropped kerb?

O/T but it's something I've always wanted to know

ThisIsMeToooo · 14/10/2022 16:54

Buy a parking cone and put it on your access.

TrashyPanda · 14/10/2022 16:56

I used to have a problem with parents parking across my drive.

then I had the front garden redone, and put in some garden animal ornaments, including half life size Shetland pony, several foxes, a fawn and some bunnies.

the children love to stop and look at them, especially if I move them to different positions. It’s so cute when they stop and point

since then not a single parent has parked over the drive!

it might be a coincidence, but it works!

Malfi · 14/10/2022 16:57

I live very near a primary school, and there’s not a parking problem. Maybe because where I live it’s all residents’ parking, so you can’t park at all unless you’re a resident. The school is also in a pedestrianised zone, and there actually aren’t any driveable streets immediately surrounding it.

cakewench · 14/10/2022 16:58

You seem to be taking some responses as 'defending' the bad parking so let me just assure you, I am not defending anyone's shit parking here. However: you will definitely experience people blocking your drive and all other manner of bullshit parking. There are hundreds of parents at any given school, and even if it's not repeat offenders, you'll get several times a week someone who supposedly would never normally park like shit but happens to have an excuse that one day. Multiply that many times over for all of the other people who just happen to have an excuse one day, and I imagine it's exhausting.

It's just an ongoing thing, people in general are self centred and don't seem to give a shit.

If you feel comfortable doing so, you could knock on a door on the road and just ask someone how it gets at drop-off/pickup times.

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 14/10/2022 17:07

My DM lives near a school. The parking situation has got worse over the past few years, including her sometimes having run ins with other parents who park near the school when she's got back from somewhere.

There's a new scheme to do with getting parents to walk the kids to school which means that a stretch of the road near the school will no longer be allowed to be used by residents to park during drop off and pick up times, except for special circumstances. However, a couple of doors from her house it's not enforced there, so means people will park there and walk down.

Lopilo · 14/10/2022 17:13

The parking permit zones are massive in London, so loads of parents will be entitled to park/drive there. Unless it means another type of permit.

Eatmycake3333 · 14/10/2022 17:17

The noise from a primary school wouldn’t bother me, unless I was night shift. But the parking would. From 8am till 9.10 every morning, plus between 2.25, yes parents get Over to the school an hour before the bell to get a good space, so they don’t need to walk the length of themselves. Bell goes at 3.25. Then you have parents evenings, not very often but still a nuisance. Any night activity. A lot of parents parking is atrocious. Sitting with their engines running, radios blasting. No I definitely wouldn’t buy next to a school.

Malfi · 14/10/2022 17:18

Lopilo · 14/10/2022 17:13

The parking permit zones are massive in London, so loads of parents will be entitled to park/drive there. Unless it means another type of permit.

I’m in London, and I think parking zones are small. The one surrounding my primary school is only made up of five very short streets -

Msloverlover · 14/10/2022 17:21

I live right next to a primary school. It’s carnage for about 20 mins at the start and end of the day but that’s it. Honestly it isn’t that big of a deal. People literally stop for 5 minutes so even if they block a drive, they are gone very quickly after. Wouldn’t put me off buying another house near a primary school.