to want to ask my neighbours to stop blocking my drive

[WetFishAndOnionRings]

We live at the end of a cul-de-sac. 4 semi-detached houses in a row, ours is one of the middle two, and the only one with its own driveway. The next door neighbours have a garden gate adjacent to the left of the entrance of our drive, and to the right of the entrance to our drive are several allocated spaces for these houses.
We are currently not using the whole drive (parking half on half off) because the slope has suffered in the winter and ended up with a bit of a landslide - we are planning on fixing this in the next couple of weeks and have been shopping for materials today.

Yesterday and today, instead of parking in one of the allocated spaces, they have been parking in front of our drive, right next to their garden gate.
I expect the half on half off business we've been doing has probably annoyed them so they have decided to park there instead.

Would IBU to ask them to stop parking there because it blocks our drive (which should be useable again within the next couple of weeks) before they get used to parking there?

In what world would you be unreasonable to ask them to stop blocking your drive? I'd be TELLING them to stop it

I don't know.. It feels petty, because we can't really use the drive properly at the moment anyway, because there is space in the allocated ones, and because we are the "new neighbours".
OTOH, I do think that they shouldn't be doing it.

If you are half on half off are you blocking the pathway?

For how long have you been doing the half on half off thing ? Does your parked car stick out in front of their garden gate ?

I'd call around and ask them if they would please stop as you are getting the drive sorted out very soon and you need access at all times. Thank them. Smile and be friendly.

Sounds like you're blocking the path. People in glass houses and all that...

On that basis alone, I'd leave it until you're actually using the drive.

We've been parking that way for a week. Path not really blocked as such but they would have had to walk round the back of our car instead of walking in a straight line.
I get the thing about people in glass houses, and right now I can totally live with parking in the space they aren't using, but I don't want it to become a permanent thing.

If they parked closer to their gate we may still be able to get onto the drive, just about, but not the way they've been parking since yesterday.

It is cheeky of them to do that, but OTOH I can see why the half on half off thing is annoying. I would stop that for say 3 days to regain the moral high ground then if they're still doing their thing, go round and politely ask them to stop.

'not quite', 'as such' and the fact that people have to walk around your car means that you're parked on the pavement.

I'd pick my battles if it were me.

Out of interest, can a pram or wheelchair get past your car without having to go in the road?

Could you not just pop and apologise for the strange parking lately, explain about your drive being fixed so "everything can get back to normal" Seems reasonable that way.

you were blocking the pavement and it has annoyed them. i would probably just park in a proper space that means nobody has to walk around your car till the drive is sorted. once your drive is usable if they park in front of it i would say something. i think saying something now will likely result in an argument.

Actually, yes, play the long game and start a niceness offensive. Go round with a bottle of wine and introduce yourselves as the new neighbours and then say what Rosie suggested. Bet they will stop the semi-infringement parking then. If not they have hides like rhinos and you can toughen up a bit.

There is no pavement and no road, it's the upper left corner of a cul de sac, with no pavement at all up here, just the parking spaces and then down from their gate is a strip of grass leading to allotments.

I wouldn't worry... If they are blocking your drive get it towed by the police for causing an obstruction... You'll find that will quickly break their habit x

I wouldn't speak to them about it until you've sorted out your driveway and using it properly.