Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Flip

Original poster

NANNY PARKING NIGHTMARE

23 replies

SARARB · 08/11/2011 15:56

Mother of toddler twins is going round the bend trying to find a solution ..... We live in a restricted parking zone Oxford which now has no free parking spaces or areas. The Council won't give us a parking permit because our nanny doesn't live with us. You can't buy extra visitors permits in Oxford. Local spaces rent for £500 a quarter which there is no way we can afford. Have tried leaflets asking for spare spaces, friends and clubs. All to no avail... Do other carers have this situation and doesn't it seem unfair?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

fraktious · 08/11/2011 16:11

Non-driving nanny in that case!

Certain parts of Lobdon are the same but have better public transport.

nbee84 · 08/11/2011 16:16

Someone I know had this problem - I'm not sure if her solution would work for you but this is what she did;

Nanny was fairly local so would cycle/bus to work. Friend put nanny on her insurance for her car and friend would get nanny to drop her off at work in the morning and pick her up in the evening, sometimes she would manage to get a lift there or back.

Whether this would work depends on lots of factors - finding a local nanny, where you work, if you need your car during the day etc You also have the inconvenience of needing the children to be ready to leave the house in the morning.

bran · 08/11/2011 16:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SuperDuperJezebel · 08/11/2011 19:15

Is there an option to get a business permit for her car? That's how I manage to park at my work.

crackedblackpepper · 08/11/2011 20:30

Could you look on the gumtree for a garage to rent they are much more resonable in my exp. good luck its a night mare I had the same problem in Sydney whilst nannying out there

SootySweepandSue · 08/11/2011 20:33

That's horrendous! I would try the business parking route if not just lie and say she's moving in.

Iggly · 08/11/2011 20:35

Can she use your car?

I'd complain to your local councillor. What do builders etc do?

Blu · 08/11/2011 20:36

Take over official ownership of her car (buy it and then get her to repay money in cash) and get a permit in your name?

Original poster

SARARB · 09/11/2011 14:40

I'm genuinely touched by people taking time to answer. I've been to the Council (couldn't care less) and MP ( waiting to see what she comes back with). The garages I've found have been £120 month which is also too much . I looked at the business permit criteria but that was for business premises and not a home. Is that the case for you too?

OP posts:

LaurieFairyCake · 09/11/2011 14:44

Can't you get her to come to work by public transport then pick up your car and drive you to work (with the children in the back)? Then she can pick you up after work and she can have thecar (if you don't need it) during the day.

Iggly · 09/11/2011 14:50

Your councillor, not council, is a better bet. I always complain to mine first as the council themselves are pants.

What do builders/plumbers etc do if they need parking?

marshmallowsontopplease · 09/11/2011 17:23

I'd write to my local MP - That is truly shocking.

nannyl · 09/11/2011 18:07

where would visitors / friends / plumbers park?

of course with toddler twins she needs to be able to park nearby.

could she register her car at your address (to get proof the car lives there) and once got permit change it back to hers?

nannynick · 09/11/2011 18:17

It is something that would make me decide not to accept a job... parking can be a nightmare so if parking isn't good at a work location, I will consider not taking the job.

Not sure there is anything you can do about it. Worth asking local councillor as if the council will provide a permit for a Live-in nanny, why not a live-out one? What is the precise criteria for that, as a live-in nanny may not be living in 7 days a week.

Do you already have a nanny lined up?

Renting a garage seems cheapest option so far - not ideal though as may be some distance from your home and may mean children being out of the car whilst nanny drives the car physically into the garage.

nannynick · 09/11/2011 18:20

www.parkatmyhouse.com/uk/driveways/oxford/ has some driveways in the area, but they are £7+ per day.

Original poster

SARARB · 09/11/2011 20:39

i work in london so driving me to work isn't really an option. am hoping on the MP. local councillor was sympathetic but predicted city council would reject it and they did. i'm the thin end of the wedge, evidently, which is of course just an excuse for not changing anything, ever.

OP posts:

Penthesileia · 09/11/2011 20:45

Park & ride? Obviously, she won't then be able to drive your twins about, but Oxford is a great town with plenty to do and accessible by public transport, so she should manage.

magicOC · 09/11/2011 20:55

Business insurance.

I have one.

Had to provide
Contract of employment
Proof of ownership of car
Council Tax for work premise
Letter from employer stating that my car was essential to the running of the business
Think I also had to provide insurance documents, but, not sure.

Employer had to fill in her details and provide the list above (except my stuff) and have been provided with business permit for each of the past 5yrs without quibble.

The fee had to be paid by "company cheque" (boss' own cheque). I couldn't pay by cash or card or my own cheque as essentially it's the employer applying for the permit.

Speak to the council again.

Good luck.

SuperDuperJezebel · 09/11/2011 21:31

I did exactly what magicOC did, I phoned in advance to explain that I was a nanny requiring a business permit and they told me what to do as obviously my employers don't have, for example, a copy of their business rates for me to bring along.

magicOC · 09/11/2011 21:36

Business permit* not insurance sorry

BranchingOut · 10/11/2011 13:04

A business permit might be the way forward, so hopefully that will work.

However, I live in a central London borough with strict parking controls, so I tend to see this as just 'life'. You can never assume that you will be able to park somewhere. There are strict residency requirements to get a permit and the permit costs escalate hugely for a second car. The best thing the council has done recently is to relax restrictions on the number of one-day visitor tickets you could buy - before then you were only allowed 10 per year! However, they still cost £7 per day.

Can she come on public transport? Do the local toddler activities require a car or are they accessible by double buggy?

whizster · 15/11/2011 22:05

I live in Oxford too, and have a nanny. We are in a controlled zone and nanny parks a 5-10 min walk away in a non CPZ. She seems happy about it and occasionally parks in a 2 hr bay in our road if she's taking my daughter out for the day.

I very specifically told all the nannies I interviewed this was the case and gave them details of the non CPZ areas they could park, so it'd be their choice to take the job with the downside of not parking outside the house.

Details of all the CPZs are on the council's website if you want to look for where your nearest non CPZ is.

ChippingInNeedsSleep · 19/11/2011 22:56

What a nightmare.

Have you resolved it yet?

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread