Contacting the council about parking

[AtLastEarwax]

Hi all, I'll keep this short!

Basically we are a street that requires permits to park. We all try to be considerate to each other by parking as close to our properties as we can. This can be near impossible though and with young children, elderly people (not disabled) and shift workers on our street life could be easier. We have all worked out that if the council allocated a 'bay' outside each house everyone would have a place to park. Houses with more than one car said they would park in another area requiring a permit.

A little more...

We are in a Victorian house, small road and 11 houses. Only one side of the road has houses, the other side is bushes etc

Is this worth going to the council? I can get a petition as everyone would be in agreement

What are my chances so to say?

Thanks 😊

Can't you just all do this now, unofficially? Park one car outside your own house and any additional cars elsewhere?

If everyone is in agreement and it is already permit only (so no randoms) then what is causing the issues at the moment?

No unfortunately some neighbours although agree with the designated areas will park wherever they want and then that messes up the whole street

Some people even go out a couple of times a day to move their car a few feet down the street

I'm with @HilaryBriss
On the one had you are saying there are only 11 houses, and you all agree - if so, what is the issue, you can obviously all park like that without a can of paint. OTOH you are saying people don't. So, if there is even one family that isn't bothered, that then obviously messes up your neat plan for everyone else as it has a knock on effect.

In truth though, if there are only 11 houses, and it is resident permit only parking, I can't see that you are ever going to be that far from your house anyway

It won't work in the long term and the council won't go for it. Just park as considerably as you all can and if you have to park further away, well then sadly thats the consequence of living in a house without private parking.

If someone has a mobility need then they can apply for a blue badge space to make it easier for them to park.

Thankyou all,

Pot noodle please can you explain why it wouldn't work in the long term?

I didn’t think councils provided on street allocated parking where specific bays were provided to each house? Ours doesn’t - the best we get is residents only parking - with or without a pay and display machine for non-residents.

But really 11 houses - just cope with it.

What would stop a car from another area parking on your street?

Those saying they would park in another permit area are moving your problem to the poor residents of that Area!

Happens in my city. They move the permit boundary every year as every time they sort an area out, people move their cars to the next non-permit area.

The council won't go for it. And why should they? Anyone with a permit is entitled to that space - I assume the permit covers more than just your road!

so any family with more than one car will park second car in another area - but you want your specific area to have further restrictions limiting it to 11 houses only.
who is going to police that - and why should they?

It sounds like you have considerate neighbours. But everyone is entitled to park within the designated area and I've never hear of spaces on local authority roads. How would the council police individual parking spaces? Would each space be numbered and then they'd check a database against the registration number? What would happen when someone moved? And what about if someone parked in "your" space? Would you expect the council to tow or would a fine be appropriate? Sorry OP, I don't think this is ever going to happen. The amount of administration for this would be insane.

You expect all the local council-tax payers to fund allocated bays in "your" street?
I imagine the local council have far more pressing demands on their already stretched budget.

You don't own the street outside your house so don't have the right to restrict other people from parking there. Councils don't have the power to change that nor should they. Creating allocated parking would (I presume) massively increase the value of your house.

If you want private parking but a house with a driveway.

@AtLastEarwax

Thankyou all,

Pot noodle please can you explain why it wouldn't work in the long term?

Because everyone might be on board with it now but neighbours (or even you) might change your mind. What if Derek and Marjorie at number 4 suddenly need 2 cars but they only have one bay, but when it was permit parking they could have both parked near the house? What happens if you come home and #7's elderly grandmother is parked in your space? Does #1's disabled friend have to park down the road because the spaces are allocated, when she'd just pop in any space during the day when people are out?

Its a nice idea but not a feasible one.

If you want your own parking space, you need to pay for a property with a drive. That's how it works. If those with a second car park elsewhere in the area, surely they are parking outside someone else's home, or taking up a space that someone else would love to call their allocated space?
What about visitors?
What about homes with no cars - do they relinquish their permit, or keep their space empty for the occasional visitor?
Councils will only ever, at best, introduce a parking permit scheme for an area. So your permit entitles you to park in any available space within a few roads. They'd never allocate you a space outside your own home.

You can ask, but I would not hold out much hope.