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?

Space for maybe 10 cars, 6 nearest the church parked facing the building and about 4 on the side furthest from the building parked the same way facing the wall and our houses.

As a church person I would say reply to the Diocese, explaining that you are parking legally and responsibly and that you would happily discuss the concerns but you do not appreciate anonymous notes.
The diocese will take it seriously and follow up with the PCC (the legal body).

Providing that you are not parking on yellow lines, or blocking an exit/entrance then you are doing nothing wrong - might be wise to ensure that you park 'with the flow of traffic' - hope that makes sense.

They aren’t blocking it. You may be good at spelling, but you’re not very good at reading.

It sounds like someone can't drive very well and can't get into the car park 🤣

They can ask and you can ignore.

Not sure someone that would struggle to get in and out of there should be on the road anyway, if the entrance is the width of two houses and the closest parked car is a further 4 foot away…

Just looking at the diagram, and sorry if it's already been mentioned and/or explained..... I'm thinking that the "swing" into your road from the right might be difficult if cars are up close to the junction on either side.

Anyway, if there is room, the ideal solution (if it is feasible) would be for Anonymous Church to apply for permission to drop the kerb for access to their car park from the road on the right (perpendicular to yours) and block access on your road. Two more spaces for your road then!

That’s how it looks to me. It might be legal but perhaps inconsiderate.

@ShopTattsyrup ... If it said "from Doris at no. 42" or "from the Archbishop of Canterbury." It would be easier to do so.

If it said "from the Archbishop of Canterbury" you could safely ignore it, as there hasn't been one for the past three weeks. 😀 But as people have said upthread, it sounds like someone who can't navigate in and out, or maybe someone who wants to park there himself. Or just a general shit-stirrer. I'd ask the Diocese, who presumably don't particularly want to fall out with the neighbours and goad them into opening a Satanic Temple across the road.

Oh, for goodness sake - stop all the legal stuff and “is it the Church Board” nonsense. Look on the Church’s website and find the main contacts. Send them all an email quoting the message you received. Try to arrange a meeting to discuss and resolve the issue. I am a lawyer and my very strong message is don’t get bogged down in technical stuff that you don’t understand (and which someone will be delighted to charge a fortune to help you understand (or not)) - please try to be reasonable and sort it out in discussion!

I think the whole approach from the ‘Church’ is wrong. If they have a problem accessing the driveway to the car park (and from your diagram it looks as though this is possible) they should approach you in good spirit and ask for a proper discussion.

It isn’t illegal to park as you have, but vehicles do need to be able to access properties and from your diagram it could be that the parking is too tight for this. So it does need resolving.

Has the church got a website with phone numbers of the wardens or anyone?

Ooh I love this!

Yes I think the cars are probably bigger than the diagram implies.

Does it matter? The Church are the people. Someone at the church has asked nicely if you could refrain. You are free to ignore.

well I'm sure OP gets that given they did refer to Sunday mornings within the same post
Still doesn't help with
a) what time on Sunday morning? 7?8?9?10?11?
And tbh lots of poorly attended churches share a vicar so even Sunday services are only held at that church every third/fourth sunday and alternate between others in the diocese the rest of the time
b) if there are any other services in the week

The length of the street is 4 houses (plus pavment on either side, and the opening of the carpark with the dropped curb is about 2 houses wide.

Obviously all cars are different sizes, but my car is about 2-3ft shorter than my house.

My two neighbours are parked across the street right now, they are parked very close and I would say there is about 4ft clearance on the end of both before either the corner of my street or the dropped curb.

There’s always one isn’t there? 🙄Epic sense of humour fail.

Going on how you described the letter, it sounds as though a few of the people who use the church had an indignation meeting and sent the letter off their own bat. Or just one person. It doesn't sound very official!

So I think you have a choice. If you really don't see a problem with the parking, do nothing and see what happens next.

Otherwise contact the people who are officially in charge of the church and tell them about the letter. If they consider that there's a parking issue, then discuss it with them. If they don't, they may not be best pleased if the church's name has been used by self-appointed representatives.

What denomination is it? The Church of England has an official website and a link to find a church by postcode area, it then lists relevant churches, with contact numbers. Other denominations may have something similar online too.

4ft between the car and the corner? You do realise the highway code states you shouldn't park closer than 10m (32ft) from a junction? I wonder if parking so close to the corner on BOTH sides of the road is making it too difficult to access and exit the street where the car park entrance is.

I've blocked out the real name of the church but on the CofE website this is what it says unfortunately. Although it does at least say what time the Sunday service is which is helpful!

Am I missing something here? You've lived opposite the entrance for three years and you're digging around online to find out what time the service is? Just look out of your window on Sunday!

Honestly you're right @HipToTheHopDontStop, patronising as you were. I don't get it. I don't get why this is being made into such a palaver.

I’d just agree with all the other residents that no one is blocking the church entrance in any way. Other than that, you can park there.

My road has our houses on one side and the rear of some other properties on the other side. Their side has no kerb at all. Some of the properties are businesses and say you can’t park there, but the council say as there is no kerb, and no private car park or anything, we could technically park there and / or block anyone parked there. I mean I wouldn’t do it, but there is nothing anyone can do about it. Though they also said there is nothing you can do if someone even parks on your private driveway!

There’s also a church with its own car park at the end of our road and the church goers do what they want. They completely fill the church car park so that everyone is blocked in, they overspill to parking on the road, they park on double yellow lines and on the corner of the road. They don't care and council don’t either.

Oh dear, that's pretty bad ! You'd think at least one of those people would be on the phone...

If I was feeling bloody-minded, in your position, I think I'd see if I could find a contact higher up the Cof E chain and ask them for the contact details. The Diocesan office or something. Or see if the Emmanuel Methodist church it mentioned has a website of its own. But maybe you don't want to bother; I wouldn't blame you!

It all makes it more likely that the letter is a bit of a freelance effort, though, doesn't it?

4ft between the car and the corner? You do realise the highway code states you shouldn't park closer than 10m (32ft) from a junction? I wonder if parking so close to the corner on BOTH sides of the road is making it too difficult to access and exit the street where the car park entrance is.

I agree. If cars are parked a few feet from the junction and the entrance to the car park, that's not enough. It isn't just about manoeuvres it is also about visibility. Particularly in a church hall where there are likely to be very young or very elderly people going about.

The fact it has "been ok" for 30 years is irrelevant, it is causing a problem now. Saying there are no restrictions shows a lack of knowledge of the rules of the road. If I were the church, I'd be asking the Council to put yellow lines there,