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Original poster

Can't Park on my own Drive!!

237 replies

TwinkleTwinkleLittleCat · 07/07/2023 17:48

Let me set the scene, we are a 2 car family, car parking on the street is awful. One side of the road is mainly double yellow lines and most houses have 2 or 3 cars.
We are terraced houses but each have a front driveway and garden.
Half our driveway has a dropped kerb so one car can easily get on the drive.
The other car (mine) can also fit in the front, but I use rubber ramps to get up the kerb. Have done this for 20 years .
Today I had a letter from the council telling me I should not park on my own drive as I am damaging the kerb every time I go over it, and the ramps cannot be used as they might harm another vehicle.
I'm fuming!

OP posts:
PuzzledObserver · 07/07/2023 18:54

TwinkleTwinkleLittleCat · 07/07/2023 18:43

@mrsbyers There is still space for someone to park outside my house, even with ramps there. I could park there but I thought parking on my 'drive' would save a road space for someone else
I'm not being entitled as pp said. I'm trying to jeep my car off the road so save road spaces.

Have people ‘respected’ your ramps until now, and not parked across them? If so - since your car is teeny tiny - you could park on the road where the ramps used to be and still leave space for other cars.

Hibiscrubbed · 07/07/2023 18:54

Just keep doing it. And apply for an extended dropped kerb.

whomoon · 07/07/2023 18:55

TwinkleTwinkleLittleCat · 07/07/2023 18:05

I'm fuming because the council say I'm damaging the kerb. My argument is the roads in our area are like third world roads, full of huge pot holes. Drains overflow as they're not cleaned. There are weeds growing in the gutters. The pot holes cause far more damage to cars than I cause to the kerb.
We have a driveway and rest of the front garden is tarmacadam. Half the garden has a dropped kerb. I can get on the driveway via the dropped kerb if I get there before my DH if not I use the ramps.

You sound like the type of person who would drop litter because you saw litter already on the ground.
“it’s a shit hole already, I may as well keep it looking like a shit hole too”

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Driving & parking
Monkeypopcorn · 07/07/2023 18:56

We have a similar situation but a three car driveway. The first person to get on the drive should be able to park without going over the kerb and using the dropped part of the kerb. If someone wants to get off you swap places. I was told going over a normal kerb to park is illegal. It's a bit like Tetris getting on and off our drive but that's the way it is!

Clymene · 07/07/2023 18:58

But you're not saving road space. Confused

It doesn't matter if your car is parked in your front garden or on the street in front of it - people still can't park there.

WiddlinDiddlin · 07/07/2023 19:00

There are some folk being deliberately obtuse here OP... I would ignore them.

Obviously if you have a dropped kerb, and you can't park across it even if it is your own, then you park elsewhere on the road, you are then taking up a space...

However the simplest (if not cheapest) would be to ask for the dropped kerb to be extended and perhaps invite someone from the council to look at your road and see what the problems are.

Original poster
TwinkleTwinkleLittleCat · 07/07/2023 19:01

Ok IABU

I've removed the ramps and will play 'tetris' I will park on the street and use up a space someone else could have used.

My neighbour has just told DH he has no intention of stopping using his ramps and the council can f off.
🤷

OP posts:
toomanyhobbies · 07/07/2023 19:02

You know people could park outside your house even where you have the rubber ramps thus blocking you on the drive (unless you moved the other car to get off at the dropped curb) and there is nothing you could do about it. No dropped curb then as a Pp said it’s not a drive.

Sirzy · 07/07/2023 19:04

TwinkleTwinkleLittleCat · 07/07/2023 19:01

Ok IABU

I've removed the ramps and will play 'tetris' I will park on the street and use up a space someone else could have used.

My neighbour has just told DH he has no intention of stopping using his ramps and the council can f off.
🤷

Well hopefully the council come around and install some nice barriers so people have to follow the rules then!

loudbatperson · 07/07/2023 19:10

If everyone does it, and there are a lot of ramps in use, I would imagine it has come to the attention that this is a common practice in your area because of damage.

Most council budgets are very stretched now, so they are rightly trying to prevent additional costs due to people's actions.

If they haven't had a letter already, I would expect your neighbours will soon.

Just apply to have the dropped kerb extended.

NerrSnerr · 07/07/2023 19:10

Why not park where the ramps were? Then you're not using any more space- especially if it's a small car. If other neighbours have ramps and they're removed it'll free up even more space.

NerrSnerr · 07/07/2023 19:11

I suspect they won't fine or clamp you but they may end up putting up bollards.

Zingy123 · 07/07/2023 19:14

You've been very lucky to get away with it for 20 years. A dropped kerb is reinforced. You can't just put your own ramps up and claim part of the street.

minou123 · 07/07/2023 19:15

Sirzy · 07/07/2023 19:04

Well hopefully the council come around and install some nice barriers so people have to follow the rules then!

Show quote history

That's what my council did.

The council installed permanent concrete bollards on pavement, to stop people driving on the pavements.

People were either parking on the pavements or driving over them, to park in their front gardens.

The other trick the council use is installing new lamp post, right in front of your house.

LadyGaGasPokerFace · 07/07/2023 19:19

I don’t know any council that would do this. Are you sure a neighbour hasn’t had a hand in reporting you?

Pearlsaleftwinger · 07/07/2023 19:21

Why don’t you extend your dropped kerb

viques · 07/07/2023 19:26

TwinkleTwinkleLittleCat · 07/07/2023 19:01

Ok IABU

I've removed the ramps and will play 'tetris' I will park on the street and use up a space someone else could have used.

My neighbour has just told DH he has no intention of stopping using his ramps and the council can f off.
🤷

There was someone who did that in a neighbouring borough to me . So the council put bollards on the kerb he was driving over.

feathermucker · 07/07/2023 19:29

I can't picture this scenario, do you have a picture?

HarrietStyles · 07/07/2023 19:31

Loads of people on my street shoplift, I’ve also been shoplifting for 20 years and not been caught until now. They’ve told me I need to stop - but since everyone else does it and I’ve been doing it for so long, that means it’s ok right? I should just carry on shoplifting.

drpet49 · 07/07/2023 19:33

SoupDragon · 07/07/2023 17:51

The council is right. You are only allowed to drive over the pavement using the dropped kerb.

This. People like the OP are damaging kerbs and pavement that the council then have to repair!

OP- stop being a tight arse and get the rest of the kerb dropped.

CheshireCat1 · 07/07/2023 19:41

I don’t understand why the council is complaining that the kerbs are getting damaged when they’re being damaged all the time by cars bumping up kerbs and parking on pavements.

WombatChocolate · 07/07/2023 19:59

You don’t really have any reason to be fuming.

If you can get both cars onto your drive via the existing dropped kerb, then fine…you need to use the existing dropped kerb and only that.

If you can’t get both on that way, you either need to accept that you can only park one on the drive and park the other car elsewhere on the road, or apply for an extension if your dropped kerb.

Of course, extending the dropped kerb might be denied. And if it’s approved it will cost a pretty penny, especially if the part of the garden that the 2nd car is being parked on, isn’t properly converted. Just getting a dropped kerb can easily be several thousand once you pay the contractor and get the council permissions.

OP is probably furious because she doesn’t want to pay and also knows permission might be refused.

I get that it’s annoying when you’ve been doing it for years…BUT, it has always been wrong. That second part of your garden without a dropped kerb isn’t a driveway. It’s only a driveway if it has a dropped kerb.

Nanna50 · 07/07/2023 20:00

A road near me has shared drives so almost every other house has applied for a dropped kerb and uses their garden to park their car. This leaves very little street parking. My friend complained when the neighbours visitors persistently parked over her extended dropped kerb. She was told that it was up to local councils to enforce it and her local council only enforce it if it’s for a wheelchair user as she can still access her property via the original dropped kerb, using the Tetris method mentioned above.

Check your LA rules before paying for a dropped kerb.

DustyLee123 · 07/07/2023 20:05

A house near me has put concrete in the gutter so they can get in. No one has done anything about it.

Oldermum84 · 07/07/2023 20:09

You've been a CF for 20 years and now you're moaning! Either pay to get the kerb dropped or just park on that bit of road.