Parking next to a closed layby?

newsliner

Hi, I wondered if someone could clarify the legality of parking in the following situation:

A road has a single yellow line except where there is a long layby - for the length of the layby there is no line at the side of the road. If the layby is closed off, but there is still no yellow line on the road, can I park on the road next to the now-closed layby if I park in the direction of the traffic? (It's in a 20mph zone, with street lighting).

Thanks,

John

Coupon-mad

Closed off, what do you mean?

And do you mean there is still a yellow line running past the layby (but not within it)?

newsliner

There's no yellow line running past the layby, or within it. It's along all of the road except where the layby is. The layby is going to be temporarily closed to allow part of it to be used as an access to a building site.

Coupon-mad

So you would be parked away from the kerb - next to a barrier?

The two issues with that would be:

- if your Council is a Special Enforcement area which enforces the contravention 'parked with no part of the vehicle within 50cm of the kerb' (wor words to that effect!). Not all Councils are - all London Boroughs have that contravention and so do some towns & cities elsewhere (e.g. in Brighton I know it's a contravention). So if not sure, check with the Council, start with their website.

- or if the police consider it to be an obstruction. That would be down to a passing partol or PCSO ticketing you, often noticed more on a busier road...

Hard to advise you or sure that you will be safe from a ticket!

newsliner

Thanks. I can park right next to the edge of the road (and at the very end of the layby I can even get within 50cm of the kerb), so I guess it's just the question of whether it would be an obstruction. Isn't that a bit subjective though?