to park here anyway?

[BigDahliaFan]

This is a bit of a non-issue - so feel free to scroll on past if that is what you are thinking.

There's an off lead dog walk that I have to drive to. It's convenient in the morning when I don't have much time. I can park a 4 minute walk along the road to the off lead bit or (outside my in laws) which is a 8 minute walk to the off lead bit.

I usually park with the shorter road walk as 1) it's shorter and 2) the dog isn't confused thinking she's going into my in laws house.

The 4 minute walk parking is in the entrance way to an estate, a very nice estate with walled gardens and electric gates on the driveways of the very large houses and a lot of range rovers.

I was stopped by a man in one of the range rovers who told me it's a private road and I can't park there.

At the time I was a bit frazzled and just said 'OK' and moved the car to outside my in laws down the road.

The thing is at the time I was fairly sure it's not a private road but not quite sure enough to argue my case. But I've since checked with the in laws and on line and no, it's a council adopted road - he just doesn't want people parking there.

So....AIBU to just park there anyway and argue it out with him if he has a go again? Or is that just twatty behaviour from me? And I do the extra walking with a dog slightly confused as to why she's not heading to granny's for a slap up tasty treat or two?

And to recognise that part of the reasoning I want to park in the posh road is because he pissed me off.

You’ve established it isn’t a private road. That man doesn’t control it. Do as you please. I’d park there.

Would you be blocking the entrance? Could a fire engine get past?

If you're sure it's not private then go ahead.

If it’s not marked, no official signage, not obstructing a crossing or any access, not too close to a junction then crack on. I’m sure the man would do the same.

Just park there and ignore the guy

I’d check with the council rather than just your in-laws about the road status. But if it is council owned and you’re not parking on a bend or obstructing anything, I’d just go ahead.

If you’re causing no obstruction, park there.

You can park there if it is lawful to do so. Of course if your car is accidentally damaged whilst you are away walking the dog, then that will be tough luck because you won't prove how it happened.

Personally, I wouldn't risk it for the sake of a few minutes extra walking.

Edited to add - if it is actually the entrance way (i.e. on the drive and not on the main road) then I would think it actually is their drive and private. Everywhere I live (lots of estates) with drives like this are responsible for maintaining it up to the road unless services want to dig under it when it is their responsibility to set it back to the original condition.

I expect there’ll be cctv on a private, expensive estate.

I had this with a park near us. A man came out to tell me (rudely) to move as his wife liked to park on the road. For context they had an enormous triple width driveway with a dropped kerb, no access issues. In a very quiet village. I said I'm not moving and left my car there. People are always devastated to be told they don't own the public road outside their house.

I'd check whether it is actually adopted by the council. If it is non-adopted you are allowed to drive along it but you are not supposed to park on it.

I've got one at the back of my house and a resident went to the trouble of laminating a note to leave on the windscreen of a hired van I'd parked there overnight. I think he just thought it lowered the tone..

Is it a turning area for Lorrys delivering to the estate?

Park there is you are sure what you have said is accurate. If this man, or anyone else, tells you again then just reply ‘you are mistaken, I have double checked and it’s an adopted council road with no parking restrictions. I understand your confusion but the council will be able to confirm this to you if you speak to them’ and walk off/do not engage further.

If you're parking in an entranceway, you're probably breaking the "no parking within 10m of a junction" rule of the Highway Code, and so, no, you shouldn't park there.

😂

You can check on your council website if it's an adopted or unadopted road

Sometimes there are signs saying it's a private road (official looking ones) but they are not

Normally if the sign is in the pavement it's officially

If it's set back slightly into someone's garden it's not official

Think the housebuilders put them up sometimes to help sell the houses

Pleeeease continue to park there. I absolutely can't bear people who take it upon themselves to regulate who parks where on public roads. The same people tend to think it's an offence if someone parks outside their house.

Yes park there..don't let the man exert power

Ideally, you could find out where the man lives and park right outside his place.

Which I suspect won't be working.

Perhaps the OP would like to clarify with a diagram, but I am not reading this as she is parking on the public road. She said " in the entrance way to an estate" - in other words on their drive! If that is the case then whether or not she is causing an obstruction it isn't hers to park in. I think she is on their entrance way and off the road.

I think in this context she means a ‘group of houses each with their own driveway branching off a road’ type of estate rather than a ‘country pile’ type of estate

I've voted YABU as you're not actually sure that it's a public road.

That still doesn't make it a public road. The estate at the top of our village isn't remotely posh - a mix of affordable and social housing - and the roads there are private. They are not maintained by the council, and have their own management company. And people on the estate do get a bit narky about others parking there when attending events at the park.

Sadly dog walkers = some dog walkers who don’t pick up and he could be sick of the mess and discarded poo bags near his home