Gants Hill residents fed up of ‘stupid’ fines for cars parked on drives

Joe_Horner

Car_54 wrote: »

What have the wheels got to do with it? An obstruction can be caused by any part of the vehicle.

Yes, of course it can.

But, from the article, the council leader said that their attitude was that if the wheels are inside the boundary and there's an unavoidable overhang because of the short drives, then their policy is to not enforce it if it's not causing a "real" obstruction.

Given the wide pavement that's a reasonable and common sense approach / compromise in the same way that not prosecuting people speeding by small amounts is a reasonable and common sense approach.

Our council has the same approach to pavement signs for shops - if they're sensibly placed and people (including buggies / disabled scooters and so on) can pass them without difficulty, then they don't enforce the legal requirement for planning permission.

The fact is that, legally, you can be prosecuted for doing 71mph on a motorway, you can be required to remove a sign that has no permission, and you can be ticketed for having your bumper overhanging a pavement or double yellow line but, in practice, if no problem is being caused by those transgressions, there's little point in doing so.

A line still has to be drawn somewhere, and "wheels on / off the pavement" is a logical one to draw in this case.

Le_Kirk

To those who replied to my comment. ALL I am saying is that IF the residents had to apply for a dropped kerb (i.e. they weren't put there at the time of building the houses) there is a minimum depth (from research between 5 and 5.2 metres depending on council) required from house wall to pavement and the local council would have allowed the dropped kerb on that basis, which means that only anyone with a car longer than that would stick out.

Stoke

almillar wrote: »

Changing car would be easier, certainly.

Agreed, so what small car do you recommend for a family of perhaps 5 or 6? Dad, Mum, Three Kids? You might get away with something like a Ford Focus for a family of 5, but then modern Focus' would probably be too big as well. Family of 6 and you've got bob hope chance of fitting in anything smaller than either a people carrier or something a bit ridiculous like of those Honda FR-V things with three front seats... which thinking about it, and FR-V is probably too big as well.

I suppose povvos like this should just stop pro-creating right?

BeenThroughItAll

Stoke wrote: »

I suppose povvos like this should just stop pro-creating right?

Most sensible suggestion of the thread so far. The world is already overpopulated.

Stoke

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

Most sensible suggestion of the thread so far. The world is already overpopulated.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/first-time-human-history-global-population-over-65-poised-pass

Mostly with old people.

BeenThroughItAll

Stoke wrote: »

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/first-time-human-history-global-population-over-65-poised-pass

Mostly with old people.

Being constantly and unnecessarily topped up with a never ending supply of new people.

Stoke

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

Being constantly and unnecessarily topped up with a never ending supply of new people.

Quite clearly not true if you read the link I've included above.

NBLondon

Gosh - I wish I had a drive to bother about...


I think the council is right - and as Joe H has said - taking a realistic decision on when to enforce. You only need to look at most pre-war suburban streets with drives and garages to realise that the cars they were designed for were smaller then those being kept on them now.


Which does not excuse leaving them hanging over the pavement... If your car really does not fit your drive - change car or find alternative parking. "I need a big car because I'm super-fertile" is not a get-out clause.

Johno100

NBLondon wrote: »

Gosh - I wish I had a drive to bother about...


I think the council is right - and as Joe H has said - taking a realistic decision on when to enforce. You only need to look at most pre-war suburban streets with drives and garages to realise that the cars they were designed for were smaller then those being kept on them now.

Which does not excuse leaving them hanging over the pavement... If your car really does not fit your drive - change car or find alternative parking. "I need a big car because I'm super-fertile" is not a get-out clause.

Oh dear, you were doing so well until your final paragraph. If no obstruction is being caused what's the problem?

Hong_Kong_Phooey.

Johno100 wrote: »

Oh dear, you were doing so well until your final paragraph. If no obstruction is being caused what's the problem?

How can there be no obstruction caused if the car over hangs the footpath?