Bought a new build off plan but couldn't access driveway!

cymruchris

Starbabe6 said:

The problem is this wall, restricting space to manouvre. They put tarmac on the front garden to allow a turning space and moved the wall 30cms into the footpath to allow more swing space, but its still pretty tight. This photo is taken before any amendments and shows just narrow the road was, and how making the turn into the driveways wasn't thought out. The plan shows a manoeuvre that would only be possible if the car could turn on the spot. If you drove in, to get get far enough to turn the nose the rear bumper was pretty much at the wall, and trying to reverse in there wasn't enough turning space, hence they took the front garden to make space. They claim the two amendments they did were to 'ease our parking concerns' and to 'accommodate' us, when actually, the road was so narrow you couldn't get the angle to turn on and off the driveways! In the second photo I have driven as far forward as possible to attempt to reverse into the driveway (which they say can be done) and quite clearly can't, the angle is waaaaaay off, there was nowhere for my nose to swing due to the wall. It is now 'useable', but tight, and will affect resale. We have lost the front garden and think the builder should acknowledge this, that there was a clear planning error, and the fact a member of their staff clearly lied. 

It could be resolved - but expensively. There appears room to move that path a foot to the right, and the wall a foot to the right - that would give you a little more space to manoeuvre - but the reality is that's unlikely to happen. The cost of digging it all up and putting it all down again wouldn't be small - and of course there's the small matter of boundaries I imagine. If the fencing wasn't there though, or the wall, and the path remained in the same place, you'd be able to overhang the car onto the path just for the purpose of reversing. If all of the houses are equally affected - couldn't you all vote to remove the fence and wall - and just have a floor based divider strip to separate the drive area from the communal pathway? Just have a low kerb running the length of the wall? Something that would encourage people to stay on the path, but allow you to drive over it to reverse up the drive?

[Deleted User]

@Starbabe6, if all the neighbours are experiencing the same thing could you work together to take on the developer?  I'm not really sure what could be done, maybe turntables as has already been suggested but those or expensive, or some form of financial compensation because a house without its own drive must be worth less than a house with a drive.  

ElephantBoy57

What are the 'legal' requirements in regard to planning and parking?

Car: 2.4 metres x 4.8 metres

https://www.planningni.gov.uk/index/policy/planning_statements_and_supplementary_planning_guidance/spg_other/parking-standards/parking_standards_considerations.htm

AnotherJoe

The most practical low cost solution would seem to be to demolish that wall. So you could, hopefully with other owners, start to sue to have them remove it, or you could all get out there and with a few sledgehammers, do the job yourselves. And if they take action against you, then you could in court , make very clear that that wall is restricting  access to your houses and The builders have refused to do anything. And garner some publicity. 

Which makes me think, have you tried local newspapers? Get a reporter round? 

RelievedSheff

I can't see where the problem lies.

That is no different to parking on many new build estates.

Perhaps some driving lessons may be in order.

ElephantBoy57

RelievedSheff said:

I can't see where the problem lies.
That is no different to parking on many new build estates.
Perhaps some driving lessons may be in order.

Maybe a reversing camera?

Norman_Castle

The footpath might have been a later addition and required by planning so not easy to remove. Check the planning application for amendments or speak to the planning office.

kazwookie

Did they get planing permission with a clause to provide parking for (x) number of cars in or near garages?

Maybe the local council PP department could help if they are against their PP.

Nebulous2

I don’t have anything to offer you - but I stay on an estate which was new when I moved in, almost 30 years ago. We’re on an established road, which had housing along the other side, but later houses behind us included a small cul-de-sac. A house at the end had a drive with a very tight angle, which proved impossible to manoeuvre onto. The site manager and two of his staff spent a whole afternoon trying to do it, with half the neighbours watching. 

The ‘fix’ involved compensating the owner, taking away a chunk of the neighbour’s garden and rerouting the drive. The neighbour who lost part of his garden hadn’t moved in and pulled out of the deal, so the house was then sold for a lower price. All-in-all a very expensive error. It sounds like our builder was much more willing to accept responsibility than yours, or perhaps times have changed. 

RelievedSheff

What has changed is that cars have got bigger yet the minimum standards for parking have not updated to suit.

I also think there is a drop in driving standards across the board.