Fumes entering ground floor flat

GDJTAM

My daughter will soon be moving into a lovely ground floor flat (leasehold ) but I have a slight niggle with the parking.

The 4 storey building is 5 years old and each resident is allocated a parking space. There are 3 parking spaces where cars can be reversed  in front of the ground floor windows. 

In the summer, fumes from cars reversing could in theory enter the flat, I am therefore planning to write to the building management company to see if they can write to each resident requesting to park frontward only and to put a sign up saying not to reverse.

I may be going ott here but I would like to sort this out in a quiet sensible way without ruffling feathers.

Is this the way to do it? What if the management company ignore my request, do I take it up with the council or is there somewhere else I can go?

Emmia

Really sorry, but whilst you can request this, you have almost zero chance of achieving it - if your daughter doesn't want the risk of fumes then all she can do is leave the windows shut.

How exactly would you enforce this? The parking /spaces are presumably on private land.

Also, it's your daughter's flat, you therefore don't have any relationship with her neighbours, or the management company or freeholder - so she is the one who needs to raise it, not you. 

If i raise an issue with the management company for our block (I'm an owner/occupier) I have to confirm my flat number and that I live there.

400ixl

How close is close? Can they reverse right up to the window, or is there some sort of border stopping them getting too close?

No harm in making the request and if the land is private and the car parking spaces are managed then they may be able to help, but I don't believe there is any recourse if they say no. If they are freehold then it would be down to each individual owner.

I would also question how often are these cars in and out of the parking spaces? Maybe 2-4 times a day and unlikely they will be sat their idling in the parking space.

Maybe see what the situation is when she moves in, it may be those people do drive in rather than reverse in. Lots of people do it that way around and there may be no need to take any action.

Appreciate it is your daughter and you want the best, starting off with a complaint when there may be no need may not be the best start to her relationship with those she has to live around (you don't).

baser999

Don’t think it’s unreasonable for everyone to forward park, rather than reverse in, to avoid the issue that OP has highlighted. Have seen many instances where polite signs have been put up, presumably by the management, asking drivers to do so. 

bluelad1927

You are more likely to cause an accident when you reverse out of a bay and usually thought that reverse parking is safer. Doubt you'll have much luck in a rule for forward parking

comeandgo

So how is the health of the present occupiers?  I think you are on a hiding to nothing, lots of businesses with car parks request reverse parking as it’s the safest way, people get used to it so I don’t think they would park forward.

DullGreyGuy

Working for a hyper H&S crazy company many years ago, driving into a parking space and then reversing out was gross misconduct and likely to end up with you being fired (like carry more than 1 drink without a drinks tray or walking up/down the steps without holding the handrail). They claimed it is much safer driving out of a space than reversing out and so the OP is just wanting to switch the "fumes" concerns to a risk for any other carpark user. 

The reality is that both risks are probably exceptionally low unless there is a reason to believe that the person is going to be driving in their space 10 times a day each and the OP intends to work from home at that window. 

Realistically this was a consideration for when deciding if to take the unit or not. I suspect those with units on main roads or next to bus stops are much more exposed than a couple of residential parking spaces.

tacpot12

A much more practical and achievable solution would be to install a Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) system. Assuming it is possible to find somewhere where clean air can be sucked from, the PIV will slightly pressurise the flat, so that air always flows out from the flat and never into it (until a door or window is opened). The aren't that expensive and they can help significantly with removing moisture from cooking and bathing from the flat. 

Ticked

tacpot12 said:

A much more practical and achievable solution would be to install a Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) system. Assuming it is possible to find somewhere where clean air can be sucked from, the PIV will slightly pressurise the flat, so that air always flows out from the flat and never into it (until a door or window is opened). The aren't that expensive and they can help significantly with removing moisture from cooking and bathing from the flat. 

Sensible solution. This also has benefits for any property located in a radon area. 

GDJTAM

Thank you to everyone that took the time to post. I had reason to visit my local college and spotted a sign outside the admin offices, it requested that vehicles must park forwards due to exhaust fumes entering the building. I had never thought it was previously an issue. It was this that started my discreet investigation.
I wrote to the management company that look after the building. To my surprise, I received a copy of a letter that is going to 3 blocks of residents. The management company are installing parking bump guards so vehicles do not reverse right up to residents' walls.