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Original poster

It’s a parking one…

238 replies

MegsLevante · 27/03/2023 06:01

Builders have blocked off 6 free parking areas on our road with bollards. This is a public road and those spaces are used by the residents because not everyone has a drive.

There has been a derelict house on the road for ages. One of the parking spaces is in front of this house but the other 5 aren’t. The house has been sold recently (no idea who to) and they have builders in. These builders have put bollards (last week) and now traffic lights on to block off these spaces.

They have also left these bollards and traffic lights in place over the weekend when they aren’t doing any work.

Are they allowed to do this on a public road? If they’ve got traffic lights, have they got the council involved, or can anyone put up traffic lights? Who do we complain to?

OP posts:
BitOutOfPractice · 27/03/2023 10:50

Well you’ve clearly got the time / energy / inclination to spend your morning talking about it on mn in forensic detail, updating the WhatsApp group and researching online 😬

Original poster
MegsLevante · 27/03/2023 10:51

Ohwonderful · 27/03/2023 10:15

I second this!

Show quote history

You second that a poster has just imagined the contents of a WhatsApp message and is trying to claim that it is fact?

OP posts:
Original poster
MegsLevante · 27/03/2023 10:57

BitOutOfPractice · 27/03/2023 10:50

Well you’ve clearly got the time / energy / inclination to spend your morning talking about it on mn in forensic detail, updating the WhatsApp group and researching online 😬

It took about 1 minute to check the link that a helpful poster posted on the 1st page 🤣

OP posts:

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Driving & parking
Original poster
MegsLevante · 27/03/2023 11:00

MrNook · 27/03/2023 09:59

You seem like a fun neighbour. I bet they're going to regret buying near you. I expect no matter what they do you're going to be annoyed. Had they bought and then left the house derelict for years you would've complained about that too.

You say if you'd been warned in advance you would've made alternative arrangements, just make alternative arrangements now?

The house has been derelict for a good 10 years already and I’m not aware of anyone complaining about it. Note - houses rarely become derelict overnight.

OP posts:
HoppingPavlova · 27/03/2023 11:15

@MegsLevante *What we don’t accept is the building company (not the gas contractor) putting traffic cones down during the time period when there are no statutory works being done, in order to reserve 6 parking spaces on a public road for their own personal use.

If the residents in the 5 other houses bought some traffic cones to reserve the space outside their houses for their own personal use, would that be ok?*

Now it becomes clear as before it was all conflated. The builders have put out some moveable cones. So if they inconvenience yourself and neighbours just move them to the verge as required to access the spaces. I actually can’t believe a whole street of people left moveable cones there for a whole weekend - AND complained about it🤣. We had builders in our street recently and they put out cones out one afternoon (was definitely the builders as a neighbour saw them and told them they couldn’t do it and was told to fuck off). Obviously the second they went the cones were removed and stacked up outside the construction site and people just parked there. It’s not hard. Quicker than complaining here even.

loislovesstewie · 27/03/2023 11:16

But if it's no longer derelict then it enhances the area. I'm sorry but I would really take the view that a bit of pain now is going going to be an overall gain. And as I said if they can crack on with it all to the good.

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 27/03/2023 11:16

I've never been part of a neighbourhood WhatsApp group, and at my former home, in a tight road with only on street parking for the 18 terraces yes I would have been annoyed by cones blocking off spaces, I don't know why people are having a hard time understanding?

Yes we all understand that spaces on the street can be used by anyone. That doesn't make it less annoying though, does it? Workmen shouldn't be blocking off multiple spaces when they're not actually doing anything.

OP now knows about the gas works - which is clearly not everything that is going on. I think people are being deliberately obtuse and for some reason won't admit they'd be pissed off if when parking is at a premium, 6 spaces are taken up by vans that don't live there.

SirChenjins · 27/03/2023 11:22

Perhaps those defending the builders should try starting a thread on AIBU asking if it’s ok for their builders to unilaterally block 6 parking spaces on a public road using cones so their 3 vans can park outside the house they’re working on for weeks/months on end. I’d love to see how that thread goes.

mum11970 · 27/03/2023 11:23

If the house has been derelict for the last 10 years why would you need a note from the buyers explaining that they would be doing an extensive renovation? Wouldn’t that be as obvious as the nose on your face, what did you think they were going to do with the house other than renovate it?
Blocking the road with cones before was, somewhat, inconvenient but you could easily have moved them when there was no sign of any contractors at the weekend.
Why has absolutely no one on the street actually approached the builders to ask for the answers to the questions you want to know? They’d more than likely give you a more accurate reply than any of us can?
Poor new neighbours are probably totally unaware of anything being wrong and sending them my deepest sympathies, as they have no idea what they’ve let themselves in for buying in that street.

loislovesstewie · 27/03/2023 11:25

I hope my neighbours are OK with the work I'm having done and won't be annoyed when the skip appears.

SirChenjins · 27/03/2023 11:29

loislovesstewie · 27/03/2023 11:25

I hope my neighbours are OK with the work I'm having done and won't be annoyed when the skip appears.

It depends. Have your builders stuck cones out on the street to reserve parking spaces for themselves ? Is your skip there legally with the necessary permits? If no/yes then probably not.

loislovesstewie · 27/03/2023 11:31

No, I put the bin on the street. And the skip and necessary permits are sorted.

loislovesstewie · 27/03/2023 11:33

And when my neighbours had work done, I moved my car for them, because what goes around comes around.

QuertyGirl · 27/03/2023 11:33

Do you own the spaces?

No?

Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious · 27/03/2023 11:42

It's a public road, none of you have any right to park in those spaces. The new neighbours probably have no idea that parking has been blocked off.

QuertyGirl · 27/03/2023 11:44

SirChenjins · 27/03/2023 11:22

Perhaps those defending the builders should try starting a thread on AIBU asking if it’s ok for their builders to unilaterally block 6 parking spaces on a public road using cones so their 3 vans can park outside the house they’re working on for weeks/months on end. I’d love to see how that thread goes.

What else do you expect builders to do?

jay55 · 27/03/2023 12:02

Usually when there are going to be works in the road, where people usually park, notices go up on lamp posts beforehand.
Parking suspended from x to y date for z works.

It's weird that wasn't done for the gas works.
The rest is the builders being cheeky and you and your neighbours could just move the cones once the gas works are complete.

SirChenjins · 27/03/2023 12:03

QuertyGirl · 27/03/2023 11:44

What else do you expect builders to do?

Show quote history

What they’re supposed legally to do when they need works access to a property.

SirChenjins · 27/03/2023 12:04

loislovesstewie · 27/03/2023 11:31

No, I put the bin on the street. And the skip and necessary permits are sorted.

What do you mean you put the bin on the street?

MrNook · 27/03/2023 12:10

What do you mean you put the bin on the street?

Presumably she's taken a bin and put it outside before the skip gets there

QuertyGirl · 27/03/2023 12:13

@SirChenjins

Such as?

Park two streets away and carry all their kit and materials?

You need to be specific here

SirChenjins · 27/03/2023 12:19

Have a think about it @QuertyGirl - what does any company do if they need to need block a section of the road for their own use?

I hope that’s what it is @MrNook and not putting the bin out to ‘reserve’ a parking spot.

QuertyGirl · 27/03/2023 12:21

@SirChenjins

Like the OP?

SirChenjins · 27/03/2023 12:21

?

loislovesstewie · 27/03/2023 12:26

Where I live it's generally accepted that if you need the space outside your home you put the bin in the space. Even the parking attendents do nothing about it. My neighbours have all had builders /skips etc and we all cut each other a bit of slack because we know we might need to have that spaces(s) for a good reason. No one gets annoyed.