New parking restrictions - cannot park outside my home

adamc260

Lum wrote: »

Oh god, don't start me on hospital parking. I always end up having to park in a residential street next to the Royal Gwent Hospital due to the lack of parking.

I always end up parking on clytha square or the big hill on it... it is a pain though

SteveJW

A few years ago our local council created a controlled parking zone (CPZ) that covers most of the town. Parking is restricted throughout the zone to 2 hrs, no return within 4hrs, the town is one single zone. They then offer residents the chance to purchase an annual permit, by their own admission they sold more permits than the number of parking spaces
Frost free covers, often wondered if you had a car that was not taxed etc and it was under one of these covers, how could they prosecute you if they couldn't prove it was a car

flyingscotno1

patman99 wrote: »

As the tax disc is not permanently fixed to the vehicle, it cannot be treated as being accurate.
As for covering your plates, Jamiroqui does it all the time when parking his car on double yellows.
Also do the same myself when parking my van outside customers houses. Came back from a shop once to witness 2 CEOs walking around it desperately trying to find a way to read the number plate. When I asked why they didn't simply lift the bit of cardboard up, I was told "can't do that. We would be committing a criminal offence".

The offense of obscuring your number plate only applies to moving vehicles. This is because otherwise it would be illegal to put a full frost cover on your car when parked on the street.

I think if you obscure a number plate moving or not moving that the plod could do you for that under the regs. Regulation 11 I think.

In my view a full car cover on the public highway covering lights, tax and plates could be any number of offences if the police decide to as well.

I always thought that CEOs not touching vehicles was more local policy than any laws. Be interested to know what they breach and if it is widespread.

landsberger64

fredy5 wrote: »

Hi,

I live in a a long row of terraced houses on a back street. There is enough room to park one car per house and 4 times out of 5 I get to park right outside, or have to park 30 feet away perhaps if not.:)

But! The wise council want to yellow line half the road because of congestion at peak times. When I objected on the grounds of not being able to park my car they say that consideration of people's ability to park 'on street' is not in their remit, only safety, traffic flow etc. So basically when this is done half the street will have to park in neighbouring streets and 1 annoy neighbours and 2 move the congestion somewhere else.:p

So, how do I object with a better reason? ... because owning a car isn't one. In fact they said that the problem was too many cars, rather than not enough parking. :mad:

Unfortunately, despite received wisdom, and perhaps the natural law of justice, you do not have any right to park outside your house, or indeed anywhere in the vicinity, unless you own the piece of land you park on, or indeed the part of the road. This surprises many people, and that includes Councillors and the occasional lawyer.

You do have a right to be consulted on and comment upon changes which seem to have been wrought upon you. What the Council say is correct. It may behove you to check whether they followed the correct procedure, but this being the Council and the procedure being clearly laid out in law, they probably have.

Yes, it does mean the problem is moved elsewhere. And that area will also probably, in time, end up with restricted parking.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

TrickyWicky

patman99 wrote: »

As long as you remember to cover your number plates, you have nothing to worry about. For a CEO to read the reg. no., they would need to touch the cover, thus committing a criminal offence.

It's true that some councils are a bit paranoid about lifting up covers etc however not all are. Some will more than happily do so whilst others will call the police and have the vehicle removed - for not displaying a registration mark on a public highway. Other councils will just completely ignore it. I should know - I've been a CEO for two councils.

Care to explain what the offence is and what law or statute it comes under?

TrickyWicky

fredy5 wrote: »

The wise council want to yellow line half the road because of congestion at peak times. When I objected on the grounds of not being able to park my car they say that consideration of people's ability to park 'on street' is not in their remit, only safety, traffic flow etc.

So, how do I object with a better reason? ... because owning a car isn't one. In fact they said that the problem was too many cars, rather than not enough parking. :mad:

First of all you need to realise something - they're putting together a 'business case' to impose restrictions in your street. Therefore you won't win on the grounds of your parking - they want to move you on either to one of their own car parks or to somewhere where they can charge you for resident parking etc. Therefore the only way to play them at their own game is to get smart and have a case to defend your parking and make them look like numbskulls.

1) Find out which council it is - local or county?
2) You need to find out how they've decided this is a problem traffic flow and congestion wise - When were loops put across the road to measure the traffic flow? How many vehicles did it record? How many of those were residential (impossible for them to know) or travelling through? When was the device calibrated for accuracy? (I've heard of some having their loops cut and still recording vehicles), What is the average recorded speed?
3) How many complains of congestion have their been over the last 3 years? How many of those were from the emergency services?
4) How many accidents have there been in the road? How many does it require for 'safety' concerns to be raised? How many residents have raised any concern in your street?
5) How many vehicles will be displaced by these new restrictions? - Where do they intend those vehicles to be parked? What have the council done to address the issue of car crime? (EG you can't protect your car if its 3 streets away)
6) How many cars have they calculated will be forced to use their own parking facilities? How much revenue have they calculated this will raise?

I think that should give you some sort of idea of the information you need to get your hands on to fight this with your neighbours. How are you going to get it all? - FREEDOM OF INFORMATION. Type in those words into google along with the name of your council - formulate a request with your neighbours ASAP and submit by email. Get the information and then pick out the useful bits that support your cause and use them to raise an objection. The council will undoubtedly try to refuse some of the information however you then reply back saying its not good enough, you've a legal right to this information, you'll bring in the ICO etc - It's basically a battle of the wills and the words until they give in and provide you the information. In the meantime you then drag out the deadline for the objections for the restrictions on the grounds of the council not providing you the full facts etc, etc.

Notmyrealname

patman99 wrote: »

As for covering your plates, Jamiroqui does it all the time when parking his car on double yellows.
Also do the same myself when parking my van outside customers houses. Came back from a shop once to witness 2 CEOs walking around it desperately trying to find a way to read the number plate. When I asked why they didn't simply lift the bit of cardboard up, I was told "can't do that. We would be committing a criminal offence".

The offense of obscuring your number plate only applies to moving vehicles. This is because otherwise it would be illegal to put a full frost cover on your car when parked on the street.

Anyone else smell the bovine excrement?

TrickyWicky

Couple of years back when I was still a CEO there was talk about amending the TMA to allow CEOs to lift covers. I don't think it ever happened but there was talk of it - when there's talk of it, it's usually only a matter of time - even if it is a few years away.

patman99

Back to the OP's point.

Have you spoken to your fellow residents to gauge their opinions ?. If enough people object, then the Council may (a slim 'may') change their minds.
Don't forget to copy everything to your local Ward Councillor (it will soon be election time, so they may be more willing to get involved if they believe they will gain a few votes).

'TrickWicky' is right about the Council having to have 'sound and justifiable reason' to introduce these measures as they are not cheap (it's not just a case of sticking-down some yellow paint).

There is the off-chance the Council wants to put-in a CPZ but has gone for the yellow line approach in order to gauge opinion with the CPZ then being touted as the 'lesser of two evils'.

As part of your objection, go round the nearby streets and check how full they are. If all the roads within a mile are already full of vehicles, then this will add weight to your objection as by carrying-out these works they would be forcing the parking issue into another road.

doningtonphil

I have friends who rent a house from some other friends in a little village. Their house is on a bend and has no driveway. All other houses in viciinity do. The owners applied for permission to cut away the front garden to provide an off road parking space. This was refused partly due to visibility due to bend and partly because it wouldnt 'look very nice'.

This want too much of a problem as not far down the road was common land on a corner that local residents took to parking on. All seemed ok until the parish council wanted to improve matters. They had a choice of making a proper surfaced parking area or turfing it and surrounding it with boulders to prevent parking. Guess which they went for.

This left my friends no option but to park outside their house on the unrestricted road. However they had a friendly visit from the police advising them they could not park there??????????!!

The advice was to park in the village hall car park a few hundred metres up the road.Except this village has no street lights as the parish council object to them ruining the rural feel!!!!!!!!!