Garage/carport issue in narrow street......

[RaphaellaTheSpanishWaterDog]

Mumsnetters, I am hoping for your collective wisdom on the following issue please -

If a street (actually a quietish lane with a 30mph limit) is 4.7m wide and is bounded on both sides by high walls (think 9m or so), how likely is it that cars could get into the correct position to park in a carport built into one of said walls?

Back story is that a neighbour has applied for PP to make certain alterations to their Conservation Area property. Currently there is a mahoosive 17m wide garage that has a single up and over door, but they struggle to get two cars in without approaching from a weird angle and cars end up parked inside the width of the space. Plans are for four side by side back parking spaces in an open-fronted carport, but I (as a non-driver) am struggling to see how this will work IRL.

Need to find something to quote in my objection

TIA

I'm finding it quite hard to visualise (are you sure the walls are 9m and not 9' tall?), but for any tight parking space like that, you'd reverse in as it's a lot easier than driving in forwards and trying to reverse out when you can't see. More difficult with a big car with a large turning circle.

Are there cars parked on the street and is there pavement on both sides of the road?

Wow, you're right - or at least I miscalculated and the wall directly opposite the garage/planned carport is more like 4-5m, but does increase in height to around 9m further down the lane, opposite the house itself.

Sorry, it's really hard to describe

There is no pavement either side of the lane and no room for parking anywhere either. The total road width, wall-to-wall is 4.7m.

HTH!

Sorry Wow, I meant to say thanks for posting!

I have no idea what you are talking about.

Hth.

Thanks Exit

Like I said, it's hard to describe!

I'll try again, lol - This is an old, winding lane where some houses (ours and the one next door - both detached) front directly into the road. No forecourt. No front garden. No pavement. No footpath. Nothing.

Between the front of our house (and the neighbour who has put in the planning application) and the 4-5m high boundary wall of the property opposite there is a road that measures 4.7m in width. No pavement. Room for single flow of traffic only.

Neighbour plans to divide his house into two and convert current garage (17m wide) into four covered parking spaces.

I am concerned that the road width (and proximity of flanking walls) cannot cope with the ingress/egress of cars into said carport.

Ah. Get you now. Are you worried about the ability to turn into and out of the parking spaces? I am sure your local council will be quite hot on that. Ask them for a site meeting.

if you want to try it, go to a car park outside shopping hours, and try reversing, see how big the arc is. They will need to reverse into the gateway, and drive out.

If you're lucky enough to get some fresh snow, you can look at and even photograph the tyre tracks.

I have no idea how much room you need. Car tests in magazines might show curb-to-curb turning circles, but that will not be the same thing.

The height of the wall does not matter.

I can reverse a small car into my carport, the lane is about 4 metres wide.

Thanks for your thoughts all

Btw, I only mentioned the height of the wall to illustrate the fact that the lane is very enclosed with no footpath, front gardens, or driveways outside these particular properties......

I work in roughly this field (not local authority planners) and for parking spaces such as your describing, there needs to be 6m clear gap outside of the parking to manoeuvre in and out. This applies in car parks and should be the same in this situation. There should also be a visibility splay at the front of the garage/carport/parking space which they would not have here. If you need any more info, feel free to ask.

I work in roughly this field (not local authority planners) and for parking spaces such as your describing, there needs to be 6m clear gap outside of the parking to manoeuvre in and out. This applies in car parks and should be the same in this situation. There should also be a visibility splay at the front of the garage/carport/parking space which they would not have here. If you need any more info, feel free to ask.

Why do you care really? Are you looking for a reason to object?

A standard car park space is 2.4 x 4.8m. In carparks the width of the lane if its a one way is often less than 4m.

I have used a program called Autoturn which engineers use to design roads etc and ran your numbers. There is no issue with parking. I did a fairly sloppy job and managed to simulate parking the first time so in reality it was be easier particularly if he had a bigger than min size space.

However if fecketyfeck is correct and your LA have set rules on these things he won't comply.

I agree roughly with both feckety and Tree in that standard parking space is 2.4x4.8m, and normally you would require a space of 6m in front of the space to get in.
However, if the whole carport has a width of 17m, that is way more than required for 4 spaces (9.6m) so there will be a lot of extra space meaning car wouldn't have to park exactly straight, or squeeze between other parked cars.
Also you say that this is to replace an existing garage. The Planners will have to assess whether the new proposal is significantly worse than the current situation to refuse planning permission.
You may have more luck objecting in terms of the visual impact on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area of cars being parked in the open and or/the appearance of the car port, depending on the design.

but they struggle to get two cars in without approaching from a weird angle and cars end up parked inside the width of the space

I don't quite understand this bit.
Is the 4 bay car port going to have the same footprint as old 2 car garage?

Ooh, lots more responses, thanks all

feckety and Tree - thank you both for your thoughts and time taken to assist with this - it's most appreciated!

Still - yes, am objecting, primarily because the planned alterations do not sit well within the context of the conservation area, but felt the actual parking side of things could also be an issue.

Seeline and Alison - currently the garage is approx 17m, but with only one up and over door. The proposal is for part of the garage space to be incorporated into habitable space with the remaining 10.8m providing 4 spaces within a carport that will be open fronting onto the street.