Parental leave - employer not responding

[SnackSizeRaisin]

I requested in writing 4 weeks unpaid parental leave 2 weeks ago, to start 2 weeks from now. I understand that my employer can delay the leave but my understanding is that they are supposed to respond within 7 days of the original request if they want to do this.
I am employed by a large company. So presumably their HR dept know the rules. My manager said they had referred the request to HR. My manager is now on annual leave. I have asked the cover manager but they don't know anything about it. Can I assume that I can take the leave?
To be honest I wouldn't mind too much if they postponed it but I need to know in advance to make arrangements (childcare related).
Where do I stand - can I just take the time off as they haven't said otherwise within 7 days?

Yes you can. You’re not requesting the leave, you are notifying them of your intention to take it, and if they want to postpone they need to do so within the correct timeframe. They are too late.

Can't you contact the HR Department yourself? If your Manager is on holiday and HR have emailed them with the answer, your Manager isn't going to read that email until they return.....

We don't have direct contact with HR. (Not a desk based job so no computer access in the workplace). It all goes via managers and they are not the most efficient.

They'll sort it out quick enough when you don't turn up for work.

Don’t worry. Your manager is aware. There is probably a policy he/she could have read, or did, containing the deadline information. It’s not your responsibility to chase them, there is no need. Take your leave, as notified. If they desperately wanted/needed you not to, they’d have said.