To think we can park here?

[ShopTattsyrup]

AIBU to just ignore this letter and keep parking?

I live on a very short stretch of street that is just 4 terraces at the back of a church. Opposite our houses is the car park for the church and for it's church hall.

All 4 families who live on this stretch know eachother fairly well, no drives or garages and so the unoffical rule is that you park outside your own house and if you have a second car you park on the other side of the street behind the church (where there is space for two neatly parked cars while allowing a good clearance of the dropped curb entrance to the church car park).

Last week we all got the same letter, seemingly from this church, asking us to refrain from parking on the side next to the church as it impedes entry to our car park.

Now one of my neighbours has lived here for >20 years and the existing parking arrangement has never been an issue. I've lived here for 3 and the street is more than wide enough to have cars parked on both sides and drive comfortably through the centre. There's no double yellows etc.

What makes me think this letter is a load of bollocks is that the letter is signed from "St Christopher's Church" - surely if it were official it would say From Rev. John Smith or similar? Or be from the council?

Go and talk to someone in the church and find out. It could be blocking visability for people coming from the car park. It could be making funeral processions difficult, if that is the case I do think it would be very disrespectful to not at least speak with the church and agree on some kind of arrangement with the parking to ensure funerals can run smoothly.

Is there room to turn right in order to leave via the road on the right of your diagram?

From looking at the diagram this was my first thought.

I think the same. If you are parked legally their preferences don't come into it.
I agree with whoever said someone is a crap driver and can't negotiate their way out.

Id write back to the church

Dear Church

Thank yu for your letter of the date, asking us to refrain from parking on the public road near your church carpark entrance.As this is a public road, paid for by the local council, it is a road that can be legally parked upon. Have checked with the council and you have no jurisdiction to be asking for motorist not to park their cars on particular parts of the road near your church. As there is limited parking I would suggest that you offer an alternative, or the status quo continues.

Ignore, ignore, ignore!

Do you live on BT by the way?! If you don't know what BT is then you don't!

OP clearly said it doesn't block entry though.
And who are relationships supposed to sour with, exactly?
There's no specific vicar attached to the chuch, not even the neighbour who has lived there for 20 years apparently has any contact details for or interaction with it - there doesn't appear to be any relationship existing to sour. To be blunt, what's the worst that can happen if they continue parking there? One rubbish driver parishioner might tut at her if they happen to be leaving on the rare occasions someone is actually at the church?

Most churches are hardly well attended these days, I won't be surprised if it's closed down within the next few years anyway.

If there are no double yellows OP and the other neighbours (or anyone else) can park there, it's nothing to do with the church, it doesn't own the road.

If the church is open, there may well be a notice board inside which should have the name of an administrator or church warden for you to contact.

They're being chancers! It's legally done to park there and there's room! Is your road particularly thin, so difficult to turn right when leaving the CP? I'd go with the parking in the church CP request and sign from the four carsman of the apocalypse

If there is no restrictions, anyone could park there... residents, visitors, church users, randomers, a broken down car... how can the residents stop people parking there any more than the church?

The cheeky things! Of course you can parked legally on the road near your house when not blocking access to the car park or obstructing the dropped kerb.

Top marks for the clear diagram!

Have you or your neighbours got a new larger car, or fitted a bike rack? I struggled to get into my sisters drive over the weekend because an SUV was parked right up to the edge (tricky but possible), with a double bike rack overhanging (a LOT of manoeuvring). It might have been ok previously, but something has clearly changed….

I've never been inside the church but the front doors always look shut whenever I drive past apart from Sunday mornings.

They're shut now - I just took a quick walk round the block and double checked the front.

The big sign next to the door that says the name of the church and the diocese etc. Has a bit that says CONTACT: and then it's got a blank slot with metal slides where no-ones put the name in. There's a plastic covered notice board next to it that's eempty. If you did want to attend a service there I have no idea how you would know when to turn up 😂

If people are parking 2-3ft from a corner, perhaps that's the issue? The Highway Code says not to park "opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space" (assuming the corner is a junction - I'm not clear on that).

If you did want to attend a service there I have no idea how you would know when to turn up

Given it’s a church, Sunday morning is usually a good bet. 😂

The fact that they have been so curt in their letter, plus that they have left no contact details suggests they have no interest in a dialogue at all. It's someone with too much time on their hands venting about a personal bugbear of theirs. Just ignore it. If it's genuinely from the church they will contact you again properly.

The OP has no obligation to reply to the letter.

Is it an issue of the hearse getting in?

Assuming there are no yellow lines in the road, and the cars are taxed, insured and have a valid MOT, there isn’t anything anyone can do. Technically, if the car park was empty, you could even park across the dropped curb if you really wanted.

I say, park at your own risk, and hope that God himself will guide the parishioners around the parked car and to the safety of the church car park.

Can you ask your community policing team to come by and make sure it's all legal? You are not supposed to park within 12 feet of a junction, lines or not I don't think.

I've never seen a hearse in that car park, I presume that they use the front street entrance to the church on the street parallel to mine when there's a funeral.

From the car park to the front of the church there's a path the runs around the edge within the boundary wall which I think it would be hard work to navigate a coffin gracefully around

I don’t think there’s a specified minimum distance you have to leave between a dropped kerb and your car. The only thing I can find online is from a London borough that suggests 5 feet is an appropriate distance.

How big is the church car park op? Is it possibly making life difficult for folk to exit safely as they can't see round those parked cars? - and if they have to reverse out, 'twill be even worse.

If it's not got any kind of letterheading and it's not signed I would guess it's from one of the congregation, pretending to be writing in an official capacity.

I would ignore it to be honest.

It’s in your interest to make sure that people can get out of the car park easily and safely. If they can show that they can’t exit safely because of the way you and your neighbours park and that they’ve tried polite requests and been ignored, you’ll come home one day to find the council have put in new street markings to stop you parking there.

The 2 spaces are outside of the church property. You can park there as there is no need for access beyond the gate. If the council want to stop parking there they should put up a no parking sign. The church has no more right to make a request than you and your neighbours.