People living on the road

princeofpounds

I'm wondering if anyone can help me...

There is a road near us which has unrestricted parking. It is a very attractive site as it borders a park.

However, there are a number of (unconnected) people who have chosen to use it as a spot to live... mostly it is people living in large vans, but one guy is just sleeping in his car. Most of them drive around once a week and move up and down the road, but basically have just stayed there for at least three months now.

I would like to get them moved on. It's unattractive, but more importantly they block spaces which all the local people use to access the park. Plus you can hear the noise of their generators at night and the occasional whiff of chemical toilet as you walk past, although to be fair they don't litter or cause noise otherwise.

But what can I do? The vehicles are not abandoned so that dept won't help. But they don't seem to be gypsies/travellers, and it's not on a private site so I don't know if the police would be much help either.

So I guess what I am asking is a) is it legal and b) if not how should I address moving them on?

maninthestreet

Unless they are causing an obstruction, I don't think there is much you can do. Maybe the use of geneators and the resulting noise is something you could complain to the council about. Have you checked to see if the cars have valid tax disks??

lucylucky

Phone the council and ask.

That would be my starting point.

movilogo

You may contact local police/councils. But they are usually very soft towards gypsies/travellers because of human rights rule.

Inactive

Lorry drivers sleep in their cabs at night, mainly in lay-by's, so not sure there is anything illegal about it.

princeofpounds

Maybe the use of geneators and the resulting noise is something you could complain to the council about. Have you checked to see if the cars have valid tax disks??

The noise is unlikely to be loud enough, although it can be very persistent and annoying! The cars do have valid tax discs (council removed one abandoned without a disc within 12 hours of complaining, you can see what their priorities are!).

Phone the council and ask.

I did. But the vehicles aren't actually abandoned and they always pass me to the abandoned vehicles people.

I haven't phoned the police yet as didn't want to bother them as it's clearly non-emergency and I wasn't sure if they were the right people to be going to.

princeofpounds

Lorry drivers sleep in their cabs at night, mainly in lay-by's, so not sure there is anything illegal about it.

I would have no objection to a couple of nights. It's the fact that they are there for months on end which is annoying.

lucylucky

What are they doing with the contents of the chemical toilets?

That might be one way of pursuing it further.

wobbley

It's not four Yorkshiremen is it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

"Living in a shoebox in t'middle o' t'road"

princeofpounds

What are they doing with the contents of the chemical toilets?

I have no clue. They don't appear to dump it anywhere in easy sight, but maybe I'll have a wander round and see if it ends up behind some bushes somewhere.

spiro

Phone your local councillor and ask him/her.