Access only

[a311]

Specifically anyone any experience of making an approach/successfully getting the status of a road altered?

What involved?
A thread running in the lounge-strange things your neighbours do and a recent conversation with my neighbour got me thinking. I'll add I've a drive/garage so I'm not particularly arsed but my neighbour is really getting worked up about it.

We live on what used to be a busy A road. A bypass was built some 20+ years ago and now the road is a 'dead end' at each end with just under 20 houses. It runs more or less parallel to the bypass with about a 200m gap. A lot of people during the day seem to park up and use it as a car school meeting point so far as I can tell-there's plenty of space and no restrictions most of the houses have drives/garages.

A new office complex is opening in the town, kind of a phased opening and there's bugger all parking in the town and 2000 new people to accommodate. I'm usually at work so could give two, but as it's the first time I've been off and at home I've noticed the amount of cars on the road. It's basically only 50 m to a bus stop that runs into the town centre so I guess people are driving and jumping on the bus or into other cars still.

Has anyone looked into this? Assume access only means parking for residents? I couldn't give two really as it doesn't have any negative impact on me, so long as I can get in and out of my drive, but my neighbour is ranting about going to the council etc.

[PurpleMoonlight]

I would guess the Council will do bugger all until the residents prove that the parking is causing a nuisance.

If they can, then the Council may put time parking restrictions in place rather than access for residents only. It's not a private road.

[anonymous-user]

a311 said:

Specifically anyone any experience of making an approach/successfully getting the status of a road altered?

The council won't be interested if it's not a safety issue. Which, by the sounds of it, it isn't (sorry). Cars aren't parking on the main bypass, and are parking on your service road. If it restricts access by emergency services or dustcarts etc, then they may look at localised parking restrictions, but any restrictions would need to be enforced, and the chances of you seeing a traffic warden out of town are low (I assume you are out of town - the provision of a bypass kind of suggests it). It may even be the reason for the bus stop, that out-of-towners are regularly using side streets to park in and then walk/cycle/bus to town.

Access Only means just that. You may enter the road for access purposes, but it's unenforcable and will definitely be ignored. You can't block a public road off for residents only.

Speak to the county's highways dept. They might have a suggestion, but I think it's more likely they'll prefer the cars parking where they are now, than risking pushing them to park somewhere with a higher impact on passing traffic. Once it becomes a safety issue, then something can be done, or alternatively speak to your local councillor and see if they would be onside and support a parking restriction/double yellow lines etc. But, generally, the council own the road outside and as long as the cars are parking legally then it's all fine.

(Or, wait a few months until the DYL restrictions change - they will not need a separate order for each location, essentially anywhere with DYLs becomes covered automatically - and then nip out with a yellow tin of Dulux...)

I know it's not really an ideal answer, but it's pretty much what will happen. I've just been dealing with something very similar.

(or, wot 'e said above in far less words than I!)