Portaloo on pavement

[Upsetneighbour]

are you allowed to put a Portaloo on the pavement?

My neighbours are just starting a renovation of their house. A Portaloo has been delivered and parked right in front of my railings (we don't have front gardens as such, traditional London Victorian terrace so nowhere to put it within their boundary) it blocks 2/3 of the pavement.

I am not sure if I am just being precious about it 😬 as I hate the sight of it but I am also worried that we will get grief about it blocking the pavement as it looks like it belongs to me (and we have a very active street WhatsApp group where any infraction gets jumped on).

I absolutely hate confrontation so want to know who is in the right before messaging the neighbours.

I think the rule is the same as for skips - if there's no private driveway/garden to put it on they should have got the local council's permission to put it on a public highway/street.

As for the watsapp group pile on - if it happens, just say its your neighbour's and you've no idea why it's outside your property. Nothing confrontational about that.

Then put a link to Abba's 'Waterloo' song on to give them an ear-worm ....portaloo/waterloo. Or make some reference to not wanting any toilet humour and you can't believe they 'dump'ed it there - they're taking the piss, etc.

Will it be there long? How long will the building work last?

I wouldn't message the neighbours - that would make you look like the awkward mare. When you're next chatting to them and asking how the building work's going you could ask how come it got put there. It might have been some mix up and they might be as uncomfortable about it as you.

If it was me, I'd cut them a bit of slack - it's not going to be there forever.

Thanks - from googling it looks like it should have a permit and be in the road. I will ask the builders today.

Several WhatsApp messages 🙄 these people just aren't reasonable - once there were half a dozen lime bikes outside my house, nothing to do with me but one particularly vocal member kept asking when I was going to sort them out....knocking on my door to complain etc.

I will let the neighbour know if it doesn't move today - the local WhatsApp tribe will be onto the council I am sure and I don't want them to think it is me - we have a cordial relationship now after a bit of a saga over their planning applications. Tempted to add the neighbour to the WhatsApp group 😂

The building work will be for at least the rest of the year, they are gutting it. Digging a basement, extending to the back and adding a loft conversion. We have had party wall agreements etc all done via their builders/ surveyors.

I am a reasonable person, I have no problem with them renovating the house and it is only going to be for a few months/ a year 😬

Yes it shouldn’t be on the pavement, is it blocking it so wheelchairs couldn’t get past?

Just refer any whingers to your neighbours. The pavement is public property and not your concern.

It absolutely shouldn’t be on the pavement and they need to move it asap on to the road. As @Overthebow says, it’s an accessibility issue and needs sorting out. I’d be concerned at what sort of builders they are using that have left it on a pavement.

Yes, a wheelchair would struggle to get through the gap.

Builders have arrived, will go ask them to move it.

Contact the Highways Dept at your Council and see if they have granted a license for it to be put there.