How to get the council to give us more parking space

JackeeBoy

Hi all

Need help. For about 5 years now we (neighbours and I) have been enquiring to the council to give us more parking spaces by paving over the grass area. We live in a small cul de sac and as your drive in, the road opens up to allow four cars to park. Behind those cars is a grass area which is surrounded by the other houses. Two of our neighbours have their own driveway but in order for more/all of the other neighbours to have their own, the grass area need to be pushed back or removed. In the immediate area, all of the other cul de-sacs have had their grass area removed.

The problem has become worst as we now have one neighbour with 5 cars and permanently takes up two spaces (he literally purchased a banger so he can save one spot for his and his wife's car. Both cars are always there and if one is not, then the banger is in its place). There is also another neighbour who is now applying for a disabled spot there and roadworks and permit parking has meant other drivers are now clogging up the immediate road beyond ours.

We have asked the council directly and all we have is a generic response about there being more cars on the road than anyone could have envisioned and how it is being considered but there is no budget. Problem is, the council would then repave our pavements and ignore two small grass verges that could have been done at the same time. Now there is also massive roadworks turning the road off ours into a one-way but again our area is being ignored. Gone to our local MP etc. and it's just not on the priority list for anyone. We are all even willing to pay part of the cost but again, contacts.

Any tips on how I can force the issue or get a genuine response? My concern is that it's not on the to-do list and we are just being fobbed off.

daveyjp

It is not the Council's job to spend money providing parking spaces for homeowners with too many cars.

Offer to pay and it might happen.

Aylesbury_Duck

You can't force the issue. If the council won't allow it, you'll have to put up with it or move.

If you and your neighbours are willing to pay all of the cost, the council may consider it, but why should they spend money to add parking to homes you all bought knowing full well what parking provision was available?

parking_question_chap

If its private land why is its the councils responsibility to arrange this for you?

jk0

Ask your council's contracts department if they will quote for a private job, and then pay for it yourselves?

JackeeBoy

Just to clarify. We want the council to move back the grass verge so we can pay for our own driveways to be completed. They've done this for the 3 other roads previously.

Davesnave

JackeeBoy wrote: »

They've done this for the 3 other roads previously.

When was 'previously?'


The situation with council funds, post austerity, has been very different from how it was before. Past decisions are no guide to current ones.


If you were willing to entirely fund the work yourselves via a council approved contractor, perhaps you might get permission, especially if you got a local councillor to back you. You will be improving the value of your properties, so it might be worth it. The difficulty I foresee is getting everyone on board, as there will always be people for whom payment is 'difficult just at the moment.'

silvercar

Near us, the council allowed residents to install some sort of matting over the grass area so they could drive onto their new driveways. It looked like plastic/ rubber squares that the grass could grow through.

JackeeBoy

silvercar wrote: »

Near us, the council allowed residents to install some sort of matting over the grass area so they could drive onto their new driveways. It looked like plastic/ rubber squares that the grass could grow through.

Any idea what this is called?

Mojisola

There's several different kinds available -
http://www.pavingexpert.com/cellpav1.htm