Parking one - wwyd

[NewyearNC]

We live in a quiet residential street which, if you follow it, turns into a cul de sac. There is a small lay by type part of the street (marked with crosses) with enough space for 2 cars. All 8 houses on our street have enough space on their own driveways for 2-4 cars. We have all been getting on nicely and keeping this parking area free for visitors as this is the only non driveway space on our street and nowhere else to park for approx half a mile.
new neighbours (neighbours 3) have moved in and have parked one of their 4 cars permanently in one of the spaces. It hasn’t moved in a month.
think this is unreasonable but how do we deal with it without creating conflict? They have enough space on their drive for all 4 of their cars.
This morning they seem to have moved a second car into the second space (not a visitor), so there is no room for our BH visitors.
honestly I’m quite annoyed but at the same time obviously it’s a free country and technically they can legally park where they want.
WWYD?

If the lay-by parking is not restricted in any way then there is nothing you can do. They are probably also having bank holiday visitors and have moved their cars to allow guests to park on their drive. In the future, you might want to do the same and move one of your cars to the lay-by the day before you expect visitors.

If you are friendly with others in the street maybe ask them if you might be able to put a car on their drive for the day.

Nothing you can do. What are BH visitors?

Bank holiday visitors?

We have similar and I can tell you that there is absolutely nothing you can do sadly - they have every right to park there for as long as they want. I even phoned our local council to check after one of our neighbours (who's thankfully moved now) bought an old army truck and plonked it there for months on end - he'd take it for a quick hour long spin, and back it would be plonked for another few months in one of the 3 visitor spaces in our cul de sac. Now we have cars belonging to our neighbours sons sitting in 2 of the 3 spaces - one bought his car last May but can't drive it as he hasn't past his test, and the other walks to work and only drives his car every few weeks. It's a case of grinning and bearing it unfortunately.

Thanks all - I thought this may be the case.

Can’t your visitors park on your drive? Or in front of it? I believe it is not illegal for you or a guest to park across your driveway.

Unfortunately not - only room for 2 cars on our drive. We will move one of our cars down the road which is not ideal as we have 2 small kids but so do our visitors so want to make things easier for them

I’d just try not to think about it any more. It was an unspoken rule and now some new people have moved in. They have no idea about the unspoken rule and as far as they can see, there is some parking which is rarely used and so they can use it. Obviously they have just as much right to park there as you, or I or your visitors.

@GloriaHeeler
sure but it’s quite obvious there is not a lot of on street parking so to take both spaces for yourself purely to allow more space on your own driveway is selfish and they must know what they are doing.
I will calm down about it but today I may just knock on their door and politely ask them to move one of their cars onto the drive.

Why can’t your visitors park across your driveway?

You could ask the new residents if they’d mind moving one of their cars so your visitors could park there and explain about the small children. You could also casually mention that the existing residents have got into the habit of leaving the lay-by free for visitors.

Not sure why having to move one of your cars is an inconvenience because you have two children, surely you’d put the car seats in the car you leave on your driveway?

I would bet they do know exactly what they're doing - but they don't care. As far as they see it, the spaces are there to be used by anyone who wants them - first come first served etc. People who do this don't care about fairness.

There's absolutely nothing you can do except ask nicely. Our neighbours constantly park outside our house as they have loads of cars. If I let it bother me I'd be constantly stressed. It's a public road so it's whoever is first gets the space.

Yes good idea- I think asking politely is probably the way to go.
Visitors can’t park across our driveway as this would block cars going past onto the cul de sac.
yes I guess we could just make sure the car left on our drive is the one with the car seats but it does make it a faff if husband wants to take one child out and me the other and one car is parked far away (toddler who can’t walk far and a newborn still in her carry Car seat which we share between cars) but yes accept we could do this for today.

I would do nothing. It’s just one of those things.