Parking, treating all fairly.

[timwilky]

So, for months the small cul-de-sac where I live and 30 other houses has been plagued by builders working on a site 100 yards away. We have been unable to have our bins emptied, access to houses etc. enough is enough and somebody has been calling in the police.

Yesterday they did 15 tickets to the builders vans. There are no parking restrictions so they did them for parking on the pavement. Well today they are doing everyone, residents as well. It is only a narrow road and if somebody parks 100% on the road. passing vehicles must mount the opposite pavement.

Accepted practice has been to park considerately, on the pavement but leaving sufficient room for pedestrians/push chairs etc. Today 4 residents who have not been able to park outside their own homes because of these builders have also been ticketed. All for parking on the pavement but all with what is considered as acceptable gap for pedestrians, but our definition of acceptable is not in line with that held by plod.

I was lucky and saw them at the daughters car and was able to move it before she got a ticket.

I understand plod has to be seen to apply the same rules to all. But you would have thought a little discretion for residents was acceptable.

By the way, they did 8 builders vans. Great pickings for point collecting plod, 31 houses 12 tickets today, 15 yesterday. I can see them being regular visitors. I got a rollicking from the daughter yesterday about how I had parked her car. I tried to explain plod was ticketing and got the you need to park further on the pavement or it will get damaged. Today I saved her a penalty. Doubt I will get any thanks though.

I guess the builders have argued with plod that they were being selective in their ticketing. I just can't understand why they insist on dumping their vans on our little estate instead of where they are working.

[Stu]

I see where you are coming from but I would have to side with the builders in insisting on fair treatment.
You see it's like the Soho Massive in Frith Street. The residents (thought to be restaurant) complain about the bikes doing burnouts filling the restaurants with smoke & generally making noise. So the solution is to ticket/move on the bikes parked on the double yellow lines.
Not only is that not seen as fair to us as it's usually not us doing the burnouts or creating too much noise :oops: but all the cars/vans etc. who obviously aren't doing burnouts/creating noise etc. are not targeted for tickets. Not that it helps us any if they are, it's just not fair.

I would be careful that you don't end up with parking restrictions outside your house if the street is not wide enough to accommodate one car to pass one parked car. Although, strangely this time :lol:, it appears not to be you complaining to the Police. :D

[Steve_God]

Simple, come to an agreement with your neighbours where everyone parks on the road for a week and see what happens.
Might be able to drive away the builders vans!

[timwilky]

We are currently running with a suggestion that we all go and park on the building site as we cannot park outside our own homes because of their vehicles.

[jambo]

Now I know I'm one for crazy ideas, but you've not mentioned yet. Has anyone actually talked to the foreman on the building site about this?

[timwilky]

Yes and we have been told it is a public highway and they will park where they effing want. The problem is that we are the only unrestricted parking within about 300 yards of the estate they are building.

I understand because my son is in the building trade that some site managers will not let contractors park on site. He has had is van broken into on numerous occasions whilst working in Liverpool because of this.

I therefore assume this site has similar rules. However, when they have been asked to move (and they have many times) the only thing we get is abuse.

[SoulKiss]

Yes and we have been told it is a public highway and they will park where they effing want. The problem is that we are the only unrestricted parking within about 300 yards of the estate they are building.

I understand because my son is in the building trade that some site managers will not let contractors park on site. He has had is van broken into on numerous occasions whilst working in Liverpool because of this.

I therefore assume this site has similar rules. However, when they have been asked to move (and they have many times) the only thing we get is abuse.

Time for a load of flat tyres then

[jambo]

Escalation with builders?

I'm the only one who remembers the final episode of the second series of "Auf wiedersehen Pet" then? Doesn't take many bricks or much mortar to seal up the windows and doors:smt046

[thor]

Surely the council should initiate residents parking bays.

[timwilky]

I think this shows quite well the problem

http://www.twsoft.co.uk/sv/bankside.png


This shows the entrance to my estate, there is a transit parked on the left on the pavement and yet almost touching the central lines. Cars parked on either side of the entrance (The red and blue), on the pavement mean there is only space for one car at a time to enter/leave.

The blue car on the right beyond the transit is again parked on the pavement. should both the transit and blue car have been parked legally where they are. nothing would have gone up/down this road

Many times traffic attempting to enter, have been forced to revers out onto which is a busy road

[SoulKiss]

Surely the answer is for them to convert the area in black to residents parking with a couple of spare public bays?

http://www.chaoscrypt.com/bankside.png

[timwilky]

It would make sense. But TBH, our local parish council is desperately trying to stop any development. But fighting a loosing battle to "Garden Grabbers", developers who buy houses with large gardens, knock down the house and put in 10 boxes they call "Houses".

Resident parking round here is unheard of. They only do it on the town centre council estates.

[tanis34]

i know how you feel m8 i live accross the road from a hospital and they have just introduced car park charges ,:( now if we go out in the car during the day we lose our space and have to park on the grass if we can and its mostly people who work at the hospital who are to blame

[en4rab]

Have you got a front garden big enough to fit a driveway for a car?
Its not particularly cheap but your best bet would probably be to pay the council to install a drop kerb and build a driveway in your front garden.
You get somewhere to park and its illegal to park infront of a drop kerb so your access is garanteed.
Installing a drop kerb will likely cost around ?1000 and it has to be done by the council, like i said not cheap but probably the best solution, perhaps you could get a discount if a load of people on the street all wanted to have drop kerbs installed at the same time.
en4rab

[phil24_7]

You should get all the residents to park legally down one side of the street leaving the builders to park illegally on the other side, earning them tickets every day!!

[Sid Squid]

Surely the council should initiate residents parking bays.

Are you right in the head? :)

Never, ever, ever consider this again - if anyone thinks there's trouble before there's residents parking, they have no idea what they're letting themselves in for, the spiral of cost and restriction will have you in despair.