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??

Christ report her. She can’t do that.

Just pick up the signs and put in your garage. Don't say anything. If they are stolen (writing on back) then you can report them as stolen.

Also a local authority officer, in highways. Not a new one for me, I had similar a couple of weeks ago.
Batshit. Also illegal, the highways officer will put her straight 😁

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

Kids do this in our cul-de-sac - properly supervised, of course.

We've had a couple of street parties for the jubilee etc - I'm not sure whether formal permission was applied for but everyone knew about it and was either attending or away, and the middle of the street wasn't blocked so that if there was an emergency there would still be access.

We have a couple of these types of occasional 'play streets' in my part of town, and they were preceded by:

1 Public consultation (organised by the Council's Traffic & Transportation Dept)
2 Community meetings with residents, attended by local councillors
3 Informal briefings and then formal decision making meetings at the Council, of and by the relevant Cabinet Member
4 The ratification of a legal road closure order

And they are only temporary closures!

They don't just spring up out of someone's arse.

May I say, you have my deepest sympathy

I have seen grown men hysterical at local parking meetings.

I would not only move the signs, but lock them in my car or throw them away, so she can't keep putting them back!

Awa bile yer heid min.

Taking the signs and finding out who they belong to seems the best thing to do, so they are returned.

Though there are plenty of road restrictions and closures where even less seems to happen than what the person with the signs desired. Any legitimate road closure or restriction should be for the minimum time necessary, and if that means work taking place 12 hours a day and at weekends, then so be it.

The real war on the motorist is badly planned roadworks.

My thoughts exactly. And hilarious

Call the police and get them to explain it to her.

Our road is closed this week (for resurfacing). There is no vehicle access at all - not even for residents.

That's crazy 🤣

Take the signs.
I'd assume she's nicked them if they're proper road closure signs.

I suspect that she doesn’t fully understand the implications of what she’s doing if she isn’t from the U.K.

I’d be inclined to contact the council and get them to explain.

When you stop the next time to move the sign, move it into your boot and claim ignorance!

When she asks if anyone has seen the sign, say that someone on the council must have collected it as there are no roadworks happening

Steal the signs.

That's so funny. Who voted for her to be Queen of the Street?

Even if you have permission to close the street for Playing Out (as we do once a month) it is only closed to non-residents - residents are permitted to drive on and off it.

She knocked door to door so everyone in the street will have told her.

And telling her to stop stealing road signs too, it's the same as the people who use road cones that they've stolen to guard 'their' parking spot. Great fun to move them onto the pavement and park there even if the rest of the road's clear!

I would 100% steal her signs.

Someone wants to make our road a "play street" once a month.
Ludicrous, although not supposed to be a main thoroughfare, and there are ways round, lots of people do use it to get from A to B.
But it's completely unnecessary. The houses are not back to back terraces. Every house has a front and back garden. And there is also a large field a minute from the road.

She clearly understands enough English to go round knocking on doors yet is still doing it, I doubt she genuinely misunderstood anything, just using the language as an excuse.

Jeez

YANBU at all