To think that you can’t just close a road like this!

[RoadClosed]

Came home from work a few weeks ago (2:30pm) and our road had “road closed” signs on it. Highly unusual as it’s a quiet one way street with a couple of cul-de-sacs leading off it. I parked up and walked the rest of the way home (only 2 minutes, it’s not a long road). When DH came home he said the road wasn’t closed - no signs of it ever being closed.

A few days later same thing, 2:30pm - road closed. No signs of work going on, so I moved the sign and drove to my house. A neighbour text me same day asking why the road is closed as there is no work going on. I said I had no idea so he rang council to ask - they had no idea either and said nobody had applied to close the road either. Therefore we all just moved these signs off the road whenever we saw them and drove past.

Long story short - a woman down the street then went knocking on doors asking people not to move the signs as they were put there during the day to make the street safe for kids to play on!! By kids she means her son. It was explained to her that she can’t just close the road for this reason! Her reasoning is that it’s a short street and it’s only a short walk from the signs to any of the houses on the street. She was told that this isn’t the point, people have a right to be able to drive to their driveways! She’s continuing to put the signs up between 10am and 3pm. AWBU to continue ignoring them??

But part of your suggestion is talk to the neighbours. This neighbour hasn't, she has just unilaterally decided to close the road without giving any consideration to the other people who live there.

My friend had to apply to the council to close her road for a few hours to access a drain it’s a road a maximum of 6 cars go up and down a day. Fuck you’d think she was closing the M6 for a weekend the fuss the council made.
Report her to your council.

What sort of signs are they?

Why haven't the council done anything about it since your neighbour phoned them?

Even when there are official “road closed” signs up, residents can usually drive to their homes, in any case.

Tell her she needs council permission to close a road, and ask to see her permit.

In my street I'd say it helps them learn. They hear or see a car and quickly move out of the way, standing still until the car has parked or left the street. Drivers are likewise on the look out for children (and cats, there are many cats).

The local police community team may well visit to explain the law about obstructing the highway - they did similar for our street. If not, the council may have an anti-social behaviour team who would do a similar job. Might be easier than having the conversation yourself. Also look at the back of the signs, probably picked up from road works and probably have a phone number on them, They are quite good at coming and picking them up, tell them when they are out or who takes them in.
Suggest she makes a sign saying kids playing in the road, please drive carefully.

She wouldn't need to steal signs, you can buy them online. You can even buy them on Amazon.

Not sure why your neighbour would be expecting children to play out between 10am and 2.30pm when they would be in school.

Is this actually real!

Or she could try and work on her main character delusion and do what the rest of us do, which is take the kids to a park.

Haha, love her brazen cheek. It's taking it up a level from the people who reserve the street parking outside their houses using cones/bins.

We've applied to close our road one afternoon every year for the last few years to hold a street party. While it was lovely that the kids could safely play I in no way would expect to be able to do that every single day.

That's a good point made by @2dogsandabudgie .

Why is she closing the road from 10am - 3pm when kids are in school?

Whether English is her first language or not she knows what ROAD CLOSED means! And she’s been clever enough to acquire signs! 😂 call the council

What happens if her son suffers a serious injury and the ambulance cannot get close to the house because of her road closures signs? She needs a rethink.

She says it’s for the kids but it’s really only her son who is 3. She wants him to be able to ride his bike/scooter and an electric car etc

Because maybe her children are not of school age or maybe even home schooled

How are children playing out when they should be at school? Or do you just mean the signs are up at weekends?

I don't understand why someone hasn't just removed the signs permanently - that is what would happen where I live.

Are you for real?? 😆

I think there is a scheme called play streets in which you can apply for streets to be closed for children to play, great idea to do every now and then

Tell her to just stand in the road while he rides his bike or scooter. She will need to supervise at three anyway. An electric car is not safe if he is low to the ground and not easily able to get off the road, nuisance in a park too, silly thing to buy if you don't have your own space for it.

This is batshit. Where did she get the signs from?

More entitled, outrageous behaviour!!!

Who lets a 3 year old out to play unsupervised or are you going to say she's out there all that time with him.

If true, just permanently remove the signs like someone else has suggested.

Can you tell us why the council/police have done nothing about it since your neighbour rang the council?

Clearly you need to ring them again, perhaps emailing them some photos would help?

Play streets are a good idea but need to be done properly - eg
https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/parking-roads-and-travel/roads/apply-for-a-play-street/

we lived on a private road so all the parents would regularly close the gates so we could all play out together all weekend it was lovely!

So she speaks English badly, but doesn't send her son to nursery? Poor kid, being set up for a lifetime of underachievement.