Parking issue with commercial van - feeling anxious

[Bitofapickle22]

So I live in a quiet residential street. We all have driveways so no issues parking. About a week ago a large commercial lorry started parking in the street. It is huge. One of my neighbours saw the driver park it and then walk off to a street a few minutes away. I’m assuming he can’t or doesn’t want to park in his street so parks it in mine.

When it parks opposite my driveway it makes it harder to reverse in and yes to be honest staring out my lounge window at a huge van is an eyesore and I hate it. I shut the blinds but it’s bloody annoying.

Yesterday we had to help my neighbour out his drive as he couldn’t see round it.

I rang the company and politely asked if the driver could park more considerately. The bloke on the phone said the driver had moved to the area and would now be parking in my street and there’s nothing I could do about it. I explained about blocking driveways making it difficult to get in and out. He didn’t care. Said it’s taxed and insured and we’d have to get used to it. Said he’s known the driver 30 years and he is a “family man”.

Again today I hear it parking up opposite, the loud reversing noise. My DD who is 13 and off school sick looked out the window and the driver saw, came over to our house and started waving up at her. I am now thinking he’s obviously been told that I’ve complained and this is the start of some sort of personal vendetta.

I am a single parent and am now worrying what this bloke is going to do? I shouldn’t have rung. I’m so anxious about this. I just want a quiet life and now not only do I have to deal with this lorry 7 days a week and trying to get round it but the driver and the company know where I live.

Trying not to catastrophise but I have so much other stressful stuff going on that it feels like I’m spiralling.

Can you park.in the space instead

I mean I could park there but worried this would escalate matters

As above, just make sure you and your neighbours park on the road instead. You really can't do anything else. I can imagine how my parents would feel if a big works van parked in their quiet cul de sac at night.

It can't escalate reasonably.

time what do you mean? If I start parking there he will know it’s my car and it might aggravate things. I appreciate I may be worrying unduly it’s just I have so much on my plate right now and this feels like another thing to worry about.

I think you do need to talk to the other neighbours and all agree to park on the road until the guy gets the message he needs to park elsewhere.

I'd also complain to the local council. If the van is big/heavy enough, it may contravene the firms' operating licence for it to park on a residential street.

AI says "An HGV (over 7.5 tonnes) generally cannot be regularly parked on a residential street overnight, even with an Operator’s Licence. Licence holders must park vehicles at an approved Operating Centre (depot or yard). While a truck can stop momentarily, regular residential parking violates the "operating centre" requirements and constitutes an environmental nuisance."

If you run the registration plate through the road tax or MOT checking websites, it should show the weight/type of vehicle and you should be able to see if it exceeds the 7.5 tonne threshold.

There isn’t really a solution without escalating matters to be honest. If you manage to prevent him from parking there, whether by fair means or foul, he’s going to be pissed off. I wonder why he doesn’t park outside his own property.

Is the space empty now? If so go and park there!

I would say you and your neighbours should park on the street outside your own houses. Van man will probably find another street t park in. Perhaps he could try parking in his own. It might also be worth investigating whether there are any local covenants or regulations whicg restrict parking of large trade vans.

I saw a TV program once where the residents were sick of commuters parking outside their houses. There was a car park at the station available for the commuters but they didnt want to pay. So the rsidents made an agreement to park on the road in such a way that other cars could not be fitted in. The commuters had to park further away or use the car park.

Thankyou so much that is so hopeful

Yes park in the space.

surely this is bad for their business with the name written on the side - they’ll be considered unpleasant people to employ. Our local fb group would have a lot to say on the matter!

newgirls they don’t seem to care. Their attitude is completely entitled. He was talking to me on the phone like I was some neurotic woman despite me politely explaining the impact this vehicle is having. I mean this bloke doesn’t even live here just using our road as a free storage facility.

A few months ago someone dumped a van in the street and it turned out the owner was the brother of a resident. The brother had gone to Spain for six months and thought he’d use his brothers street to park if in. Again it was blocking a neighbours view so everyone got the brother to move it I guess he did because he didn’t want to annoy his neighbours.

No such guilt with this van driver.

Yeah, park in the space.

he’s a selfish twat.

newgirls apparently he is a “family man”

The bloke on the phone said the driver had moved to the area and would now be parking in my street and there’s nothing I could do about it. I explained about blocking driveways making it difficult to get in and out. He didn’t care. Said it’s taxed and insured and we’d have to get used to it.

He's right unfortunately. There's nothing you can do about it.

Is it over 7.5 tonnes? You’ve said both van and lorry in your post so which is it, a van or a lorry?

Check with the council. Where I live large vehicles aren’t allowed to park.
I would either park there myself. Or start to leave a few reviews for the company.

As posters have said, it depends on the size of the truck/lorry.
If its a HGV (as badbadbunny posted "An HGV (over 7.5 tonnes) generally cannot be regularly parked on a residential street overnight, even with an Operator’s Licence. Licence holders must park vehicles at an approved Operating Centre (depot or yard). While a truck can stop momentarily, regular residential parking violates the "operating centre" requirements and constitutes an environmental nuisance."

If the council and the firm won't do anything about it, leave them reviews on their facebook, checkatrade etc.
It may reign them in.

Yes she can - she and the neighbours can park in the street and send Family Man packing, and if it's over 7.5 tonnes she can report him.

Check if your road has a restrictive covenant. Ours does and no one can have a commercial vehicle (marked up with companies name etc) on their drives, let alone parked on the road.

Talk to the neighbours and try not to leave a big enough space. He’ll find elsewhere if he consistently can’t park. Do check local restrictions, we can’t have commercial vehicles parked on our development between 6pm and 8am officially though nobody will enforce it, even the van who parks on the double yellows!

Well, is it a lorry or a van? You use both words but they are very different.

How big is it? Van or lorry? If it’s huge, report it.

If he’s such a family man, why isn’t he parking it on his own road for his own family to enjoy?!

That would really piss me off though. I would have a neighbourly conversation/WhatsApp group and all decide to park in a nicely spread out fashion on the road for the foreseeable future so there are no free spaces for a lorry.

I think it’s mostly new developments that have those covenants.