Council putting double yellow lines outside my house

Wardy

Hi,

After a bit of advice really, and hoping someone can help. I bought my house 12 years ago and bought it without a garage or off road parking. There are four houses together, the first house is approx 30 metres from the end of our road, which is off a main road, then there is a row of 7 shops. None of the four houses have driveways but some do have garages at the back of the houses, where they've given up part of their garden and had garages built.

The council are planning to put double yellow lines from off the main road, into our road, outside the four houses, the shops and further on, which means I have no where to park unless I change my front garden into a driveway or lose part of my back garden and have a garage built. Neither of which I can afford. All of the families in the four houses are submitting objections, one of them has a bus stop and lamppost at the end of his front garden so couldn't have a driveway if he wanted and they're a four car family.

We've had no communication from the council apart from notices on lamposts - none of them on the one outside our houses or over the road, but on others in the area - they're putting double yellow lines all over the borough, and it's only because I walk the dog I saw them.

If they put double yellow lines on the road this will speed the traffic up, which will be a danger as there's a school just down the road so its pretty busy all day. There's no speed bumps or crossings, so the only reason drivers slow down at the moment is because of the parked cars.

I can't see a reason why the council are putting double yellow lines as the road is safe - I've never seen a crash/debris from a crash in the 12 years I've lived here.

So in summary I will have no where to park my car, I'm worried my property will be devalued because of the proposal if I try to sell it & I'm worried about the safety of my children crossing the road due to the speed of drivers. I need some ideas of the way to approach this with the council and any help of key things I could put in an email that the council would really take seriously and possibly stop the double yellow lines happening.

Finally, if this did go ahead, does anyone know if I would be entitled to compensation for my house being devalued or for the cost of putting a driveway and drop curb in?


Thanks all:beer:

oscarward

Have you spoke to your local council member, do they have a surgery where you can go and ask them about this?

Other than that engineers and highways dept?

We had a drop curb put in a few years ago which cost us about £250 ish.

keystone

There is no reason why such should devalue the value of your property as nobody has the right to park on the public highway outside their own property I'm afraid to say.

Council must have their reasons. Seems there should be enough of you to force a sensible discussion with the Council about this as suggested above.

Prolly some jobsworth in the highways dept spending year end money that they will otherwise lose if it isn't committed by 5th April anyway.

Cheers

flyingscotno1

Lot of points there.

OK. Traffic regulation order is being advertised. You have to object (separately) with other residents. This involves not only contact highways but local Councillors or MPs.

Notices should be attached 'in the area'. Fairly wooly term. I'd say some should be up on the street however it doesn't appear to be necessary. Having done it in the past I know how many get torn down!

Now, you have to watch arguments. An experienced traffic man can spin them 22 ways. Speeding traffic up isn't a great argument here for example- it might sound good in that you act as an impediment but you give an easy counter argument that you are directly impeding the flow, hurting road capacity on a busy road. You also say there are no crossings, again it could then be spun to say the parked cars are a danger to pedestrians as there is no natural crossing point. Arguments need to be carefully thought up and targeted.

As for compensation, you may get certain amendments or they may discount a dropped kerb etc, but I wouldn't expect them to pay £2k cash to you. The public highway is after all if you go way back designed not for parking but movement.

Like you say I suspect the statement of reasons will be the road is busy, parked cars are obstructing the road caoacity and flow and presenting an increased danger.

Your best course of action is contact highways, seperate complaint letters from each resident, contact Councillor and cc on documentation.

Wardy

thanks all for your responses - i take it on board that I do NOT have the right to park outside my house - I completely agree, but I purchased the property with the availability to park outside my house and whilst I have no claim on that road, it's just frustrating that now I will have to spend £5,000 at least on getting a driveway put in (and I've had several quotes as it was an option we looked into 5years ago, even applied for planning permission as the supporting walls needed it).

I also take on the points about being careful how I word my arguement, and that was exactly the sort of feedback I needed. I want to make my case as strong as possible, and not let myself down by using the wrong phrase where they can throw something back at me. There seems to be a lot of objection, including the local businesses so I'm hoping it will have some impact.

I'm planning on speaking to the council again tomorrow - I have already requested a call back over a week ago to try and find out why the decision has been made, but with no repsonse as yet. They do say on the website the decision has been made in conjunction with residents, but I'm yet to find anyone who is in favour of the proposal, so I really find that hard to believe. Our four houses are the only ones without driveways that are affected so it's really frustrating - I'm sure the planner who worked this out wouldn't have put them outside his house if he was in the same situation, but to be honest I've resigned myself to the fact it probably will happen. If it doesn't its a bonus.

Thanks again all - any more comments would be appreciated:beer:

Strider590

Wardy wrote: »

I can't see a reason why the council are putting double yellow lines as the road is safe - I've never seen a crash/debris from a crash in the 12 years I've lived here.

Because it drives people away from parking in the streets and into council run car parks where they have to pay.
Im guessing your not too far away from the town/city centre?

If not then you'll probably find some old folk complained, the council put a notice in the local rag and ya'll didn't read it.

patman99

If your front garden is big enough, just remove the fence that runs along the pavement and bump your car up the kerb and onto your new 'driveway'. Where my mate lives, every house in the street did this, some even concreted the garden. When the council came-along to replace the kerbs and resurface the path, they automatically put drop drop-kerbs in at no cost to the council.

Of course there are other options. If the nice new lines become worn-out due to excessive foot-traffic walking on them, they become unenforceable. Also, you have the right to cover your car, thus obscuring the number plates. The CEO doesn't have the right to remove the cover.

sequence

About time they stopped every road and pavement being obstructed with parked cars!

flyingscotno1

patman99 wrote: »

If your front garden is big enough, just remove the fence that runs along the pavement and bump your car up the kerb and onto your new 'driveway'. Where my mate lives, every house in the street did this, some even concreted the garden. When the council came-along to replace the kerbs and resurface the path, they automatically put drop drop-kerbs in at no cost to the council.

Of course there are other options. If the nice new lines become worn-out due to excessive foot-traffic walking on them, they become unenforceable. Also, you have the right to cover your car, thus obscuring the number plates. The CEO doesn't have the right to remove the cover.

In some areas they do have the right to do it. Police enforced areas they can do so as they can in London. Not sure about others, but it isn't a greatly foolproof measure. More hassle than it is worth!

Gloomendoom

You might have the right to cover your car, but you might run into problems if the tax disc and reg plates are not visible. You would also need reflectors on the cover. In any case, the council could still deal with the covered car in same way as they would an unlicensed skip or other obstruction in the highway.

Hintza

Why not just park at the back? Why do you need a garage there?