School Traffic Parking on Private Road

Luroc

We have moved into a new-build house within the past year. It is on a small housing estate which is near 2 primary schools. When we received the deeds, it became apparent that the road on which we (and 3 other houses) live is a private road. The developer chose not to pursue a Section 38 agreement which would have given the local council the option of adopting the road for public use.

We (and the 3 other home-owners) are legally responsible for the road and it’s maintenance. It is important that I mention at this point that the road has been block-paved with a relatively expensive block.

As it was not apparent that the road was private, the developer agreed to pay for and fit a highways-approved sign stating that the road was private and should not be used for parking or turning. This was fitted prior to the start of the new school year. Perhaps naively, I thought that this might solve the parking problems we were having at school pick-up and drop-off times.

However, school traffic is continuing to use the road, at least once a week obstructing our actual drive and on a handful of occasions we have found cars parked on our drive! When I have tried to speak to parents to ask them to move I have been met with verbal abuse.

I have emailed both headteachers who have kindly sent out communication to parents; this hasn’t worked. I have contacted the police officer assigned to our local community who has spoken to both heads and have been round a few times. However, as this is a private road, their powers are limited.

You may well be thinking ‘what’s the problem, it’s only 5 minutes’. It lasts around an hour due to the staggered pick-up times and roughly 10 cars use the road. Not to mention the obstruction of and use of our driveway. 10 cars using the road 5 times a week for 39 weeks of term time per year over 5 years is nearly 10 000 uses of the road. As mentioned previously, it is block paved and we are legally responsible for its maintenance. The local council would be legally within its rights to enforce this.

Driveway use and obstruction aside, I don’t see why we should potentially have to pay for maintenance of the road sooner than anticipated because of use by school traffic.

I wondered if anybody had found themselves in a similar position or could offer some advice? It would be much appreciated.

Many Thanks!  

Brie

No direct experience of being near a school as I have purposely avoid buying nearby.  Went to look at a likely house once but the viewing was a letting out time and we realised how impossible it would be so didn't even go inside the place.

We did however live near a football ground which on match days made parking anywhere close to our house impossible.  Cars would be parked for an hour or two before the match until two hours after, sometimes the cars were left til the next day if people stopped at a pub to celebrate or commiserate after a game. 

The police were completely indifferent to the problem despite the fact that cars were left on the pavement and blocking drives.  Frankly this was (I believe) because we were not an upmarket neighbourhood.  The posher side of the grounds had signs, patrols and someone marching along giving tickets should anyone manage to get past the blocks to the roads that were put in place a few hours before game play.

So that's what I suggest you do - if you can.  Get yourself some high viz vests and kit yourself out like traffic control and simply block access to all that try to try to enter the road.  The alternative is to go high tech and actually install a barrier to which only you and the residents can lift out of the way.  Expensive perhaps but might actually save ££ in the long run.

Coupon-mad

How about installing some parking posts that you and neighbours hold the keys for, such that you and your visitors can get in and out but no other vehicles can even cross the threshold?

You can get key operated parking posts for under £50 on Amazon snd maybe the developer would agree to securely fit them at no cost?

Whatever you do, DON'T get a predatory parking firm in (you will be their captive audience targets) and DON'T be misled that self ticketing is a good idea as that pitches neighbour against neighbour.

This is surely easily resolved with a barrier of some small posts if the entrance isn't suited to a gate with key fobs (which is more expensive but a great idea to add security and increase your property values as part of a 'safe, exclusive gated community').

jimbo6977

OP, I don't think your post will be popular here. How dare you attempt to restrict parking on private land?!?!?!?!?

Coupon-mad

It was a perfectly acceptable and understandable question and answered in a practical way that doesn't involve the legalised extortion that currently plagues this country.

unforeseen

How about installing some parking posts that you and neighbours hold the keys for, such that you and your visitors can get in and out but no other vehicles can even cross the threshold?

The mentality of school run parents is such that they will just park in front of the posts blocking all access and exit. 

Luroc

@Brie I have considered this but with 2 children who are 3 and under it’s just not practical. Plus I go back to work soon and have no doubt that as soon as there was nobody there to ‘police’ it, it would just go back to how it was, such is the mentality.

@Coupon-mad it’s interesting that you say this as I’ve considered it as an option. What has been your negative experience of these parking firms? It would be unlikely to pit neighbour against neighbour as the ‘private road’ is respected outside of school drop-off/pick-up times. However, again, it’s just not practical as it means that our friends/family would not be able to park on the road if e.g. we were having a party. I’ve also considered your parking posts option - trouble is, do we really want to be getting in and out putting bollards up and down (there would need to be 2 as the road is wide) every time we leave the house? I’ve looked into automatic ones but these would need to run off someone’s electricity and not sure how we would sort this. The other option is solar-powered and we could definitely look into getting the developer to pay for these - although they’re not very tall.

@jimbo6977 I’m sensing sarcasm how dare I!!

@unforeseen yes, I agree. My husband describes their behaviour as ‘primal’ 🤣 In fairness, it’s not the vast majority of parents. It seems to be the same minority who are doing it every day. I’ve given consideration to complaining to ombudsman regarding local government planning. It was entirely foreseeable that parking would be a huge problem. According to other local residents it was already a problem before they built the housing estate! There’s a patch of wasteland near both schools that could easily (but probably very expensively) be tarmacked and converted into an area of land which could be used by both schools’ children during the day and by parents at drop-off/pick-up times. The cynic in me, however, suspects it will be sold off for more houses…

tboo

jimbo6977 said:

OP, I don't think your post will be popular here. How dare you attempt to restrict parking on private land?!?!?!?!?

A little aggressive considering the question is about inconsiderate others parking outside the OP's house and even in his drive.

If it was on your street or outside your property, would this still be your reaction, I doubt it.

Luroc

@tboo I think @jimbo6977 was being sarcastic (at least I hope!) 😊

daveyjp

If you choose to live near a school on a road which hasn't been constructed to adoptable standards this is an unfortunate downside.

 My daughter attends a school with lots of parking, but a narrow driveway.  Many pupils therefore walk through the grounds to the main road which has no parking.  Parents therefore park in a pub car park, a residents only street and private streets.

About three times a year we get a note from school saying don't do it, but micromanaging parking around schools simply isn't possible.

I certainly wouldn't go down the PPC route, but fake signs and a few cars parked with 'tickets' on them may have a deterrent.

Luroc

@daveyjp the road has certainly been constructed to adoptable standards. The developer has chosen not to pursue a Section 38 agreement for which they would have had to pay the local council thousands of pounds in order for them to adopt the road.

Can I ask why you wouldn’t go down the PPC route?