Realistically can anything be done to stop parents parking across driveway?

[Lefmry]

I live on the same street as a school. Every single day someone blocks our driveway and I’m at a point now where I’m getting super fed up of it! 😩 It is mostly the same woman, who on multiple occasions has been asked to stop but it’s like it falls on deaf ears and she feels entitled somehow to still park there.

I wouldn’t actually mind but my eldest has severe additional needs and will NOT walk any distance from the car to the house so it’s super important we are parked on the drive, which isn’t possible when she (or someone else) has swanned off to stand at the school gates to wait for her child. I mean, not like I need an excuse really, it’s my drive and I should be able to use it. The time the drive is blocked is ALWAYS when I’m getting back from picking up my son from school.

Realistically if I were to go in to the school with number plates, especially this one woman, is there anything they can do? Or anything anybody else can do? Sorry I know there’s worse problems to have but I’ve just had a baby 4 weeks a go, have a 20 month old, along with my eldest with ASD, I am trying my damn hardest every day and sick of arseholes making life even harder.

Rosscameasdoody · 24/09/2024 19:34

The problem is that blocking drives - even with a dropped pavement isn’t illegal unless there is a car on the driveway. It’s blocking access to the highway that’s illegal, not parking across a dropped pavement, unless it’s a specific dropped kerb for a wheelchair user.

I'm surprised that you haven't seen the frequent previous refutations of that claim:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/waiting-and-parking-238-to-252

(Rule 243)

DO NOT stop or park:

where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles

Then they are parked there longer while it takes time to get off and its criminal damage.

Also get the council to put a line on the road outside your driveway to make it even more obvious to the cheeky fcukers!

The bit in bold - that’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s illegal to park across a dropped kerb provided for wheelchair users - I live more or less opposite a school and have rung 101 and the local council numerous times to report parents parking across my driveway and have been told on each occasion that if there is no car on the driveway, they are not committing an offence as they are not blocking egress to a public highway. The dropped kerb at the entrance to a property is not designated as provided for the ease of wheelchair use, even if the resident is a wheelchair user.

The problem has been solved since I paid to have a white H marking across the entrance, and there have been so many complaints that there are now patrolling PCSO’s in evidence at most school pick ups

Do you know what, I don't usually accept things without checking, but this is something I've seen on MN so often that I bought into it.

The Highway Code actually says it's an offence to park in front of the entrance to a property, under Rule 243 as highlighted below. It doesn't say not to obstruct the exit, as in only when there's a vehicle parked on the driveway, and practically the law should reflect the availability of a driveway for an occupant and their visitors, not whether they're wishing to come or go.

The issue really is one of enforcement and Councils having the manpower to pursue and process offenders so that it's not a habitual issue. Most people manage to employ their brains though, so I guess it's not ever going to be a priority for resources.

I used to be a governor at a primary school with a parking issue. (parents using double yellows in a small road next to the school)

The school actually took it very seriously, not least because one of the criteria OFSTED looks at is your relationship with the community and a lot of angry locals isn't a good look.

We had a close relationship with the PCSO and they would come out every afternoon for a week. On the first day warning drivers and reminding them of the parking rules and then on the other days issuing fines.
It would improve things for a while, and particular parents who got fined tended to stop for a long time.
So I would go to the school.
I would also name and shame on social media, probably every day (with captions like - day number 5, she is here again, and again I couldn't park on my drive with my disabled son)
I would also get a sign for your front wall/gate or whatever like the pp has put above - disable access required. It takes more entitlement to park in front of an actual sign saying don't park
And I would get the stickers from Amazon saying don't park, and stick them every day onto the windscreen on drivers side. They are not vandalism and don't damage anything, they are just informative stickers.

Things which are law appear in the Highway Code as "You MUST... " and the relevant part of the Road Traffic Act is included. If it just says "do not..." then it's not actually illegal insofar as the RTA is concerned.

@SoupDragon thank you for clarifying, I can see now there are MUST NOTs and DO NOTs. So it's toothless then, which is a bit pointless in the face of people who're intent on doing what best suits them regardless of who else it might inconvenience. I mean I'd take a DO NOT as meaning just that without further clarification, I wouldn't take it as don't do it, not, we say don't but...shrugs.

If OP can quantify a loss, they can always pursue a civil claim against the driver/registered keeper. At least they have the advantage of knowing where they live in order to service the documents.

I say this mostly in jest, but I’d be quite tempted to hand my child a golf club and encourage them to have at the car’s windows.

We have the same problem. My neighbour smears wallpaper paste on the windscreens.

Congratulations for not reading the OP.

It doesn’t work. People take no notice of signs no matter how prominent the wheelchair symbol is. And local authorities won’t paint a disabled bay on the road outside your house unless you don’t have access to a driveway. Even if they do, it’s not exclusively for your own use. Anyone with a blue badge can park there, so you wouldn’t want that across your driveway.

Try telling them that at 101 or the local council for that matter. I’ve rung dozens of times only to be told that if there is no car on the drive it’s not illegal to block the driveway, because the offence is one of blocking access to the highway if there is a car present when you park.

Park right across your own drive?

Read the OP?

What about putting a sign up on the drive itself so it's more shameful to be parked there?

I.e. "Disabled - access required at all times, please do not block this drive"

If you work on the assumption she's a pretty crapulous person because she has been doing it even when she has a choice not to, then other people knowing she's behaving really badly might be the only solution.

The council fine idea also has legs - take a lot of photos from multiple angles so that the context of the car as well as the registration plate and make and model are clear to give the best chance of them being able to find.

I work in a primary school office and unfortunately this is all we can do. If we receive a complaint about parking, we will message parents asking them not to block driveways and be considerate to our neighbours, but it doesn't make much difference.
Our PCSO has also said that residents should file complaints with local police by calling 101 each time. They will keep records of the number of times this is happening which can be used as evidence for prosecution if necessary.

I cannot believe (the few) people saying you bought a house next to school what did you expect! I live as close as you can get to a school and completely understand that was my choice, I expect it to be busy of course but I absolutely do not expect people to be so ignorant as to block on my own drive way.

I have lived in my house for 9 years and never has my driveway blocked. Yes there are incidents when it's maybe trickier to manoeuvre out my drive and lots of dodgy pavement mounting etc. but to actually block someone in deliberately is just ridiculous behaviour.

Can you get a disabled spot for your son?
Melted cooking fat on the windscreen?

I'd move my car at pick up time and park across my own drive. The school can't do much, put a notice in the newsletter etc. But if she is blocking you in then isn't that a police matter?

Wtf. Op is most certainly not the one being unreasonable

Op can't do that as she's on her way back from picking her own child up

Op I have seen signs people put up saying there is a disabled resident and access is needed at all times. Would this be worth a try?
Parents seem to respect the one on our school run

Put cones out. Yes it will be a pain when you return but might stop it

blocking access to a drive is civil. Blocking access to public road from a drive can be criminal.

school can do nothing. They send letters out etc but they have no power.

keep sending letters to you council. Ask for double yellows across driveways