Parking restrictions

[Frixturbo]

Hi ph,

We have recently moved and have a dropped kerb for our driveway but in front of that the council have some hatched white lines..

The yellow lines are broken and not in use...

Can we legally park in front of our dropped kerb?

I have checked the Highway Code for road markings but can't seem to find anything regarding this..

Thank you in advance,

[Riley Blue]

It looks like the first photo shows the end of the parking bay. What is the wording on the sign on the pole regarding parking times etc?

[Frixturbo]

Riley Blue said:

It looks like the first photo shows the end of the parking bay. What is the wording on the sign on the pole regarding parking times etc?

It is the end of a parking bay, our dropped kerb isn't in the bay but at the end of it Where the hatched or diagonal white lines are..

[Riley Blue]

Frixturbo said:

Riley Blue said:

It looks like the first photo shows the end of the parking bay. What is the wording on the sign on the pole regarding parking times etc?

It is the end of a parking bay, our dropped kerb isn't in the bay but at the end of it Where the hatched or diagonal white lines are..

I'd say you've answered your own question - your dropped kerb is outside the parking bay.

[Frixturbo]

This is to the left of our drive as you face it

[Frixturbo]

Riley Blue said:

I'd say you've answered your own question - your dropped kerb is outside the parking bay.

lol do the hatched white lines not mean anything then?

[PurpleMoonlight]

The yellow line restriction is likely still valid even if the paint is worn.

[Riley Blue]

Frixturbo said:

Riley Blue said:

I'd say you've answered your own question - your dropped kerb is outside the parking bay.

lol do the hatched white lines not mean anything then?

They delineate the area outside the parking bays.

[esxste]

If you're looking for a "yeah mate, absolutely fine to park there" I'll happily supply it if you agree to the following provisions:

1. it would be wrong
2. the parking enforcement will ticket you
3. you dont hold me responsible, liable or to blame for any costs arising from 1 and 2.

[GreatGranny]

The hatched marking with broken line can be entered but only if seen by the driver to be safe to do so.

Its the parking restriction which will establish if you can park there or not and at which times/days.

[Red Devil]

Frixturbo said:

Hi ph,

We have recently moved and have a dropped kerb for our driveway but in front of that the council have some hatched white lines..

The yellow lines are broken and not in use...

Can we legally park in front of our dropped kerb?

I have checked the Highway Code for road markings but can't seem to find anything regarding this..

Yellow lines require a TRO. Check that the relevant one is not defective.
It appears to be a single yellow so, if valid, should have a plate showing the times the restriction operates.
Your photo of the sign only relates to the parking bays which doesn't help us. A less close-up view of the street would be useful.

That said, the hatchings (both of them) are there for a reason. There is a side road/alley a few yards away.
By parking in front of your dropped kerb you would be severely curtailing the sightline for anyone exiting it.

PurpleMoonlight said:

The yellow line restriction is likely still valid even if the paint is worn.

^^This^^ The paint is nowhere near worn enough to invalidate it if the TRO is not defective.

If there was no yellow line (or hatchings) you would be OK to park in front of the dropped kerb to your own premises at any time.
TMA 2004 Section 86(3) - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/18/sectio...

[MoggieMinor]

Is in not against the law to park in front of a dropped kerb anyway? Even if it is yours? If you have a driveway anyway why not park on that?It will always be safer than parking on the road.

[trickywoo]

MoggieMinor said:

Is in not against the law to park in front of a dropped kerb anyway? Even if it is yours? If you have a driveway anyway why not park on that?It will always be safer than parking on the road.

I think this is right but only if you are obstructing a car getting off the drive and onto the road and not from the road onto the drive.

Its also local council enforcement and how much they can be bothered is debatable.

[Short Grain]

trickywoo said:

MoggieMinor said:

Is in not against the law to park in front of a dropped kerb anyway? Even if it is yours? If you have a driveway anyway why not park on that?It will always be safer than parking on the road.

I think this is right but only if you are obstructing a car getting off the drive and onto the road and not from the road onto the drive.

Its also local council enforcement and how much they can be bothered is debatable.

I think it's the other way, you cannot block a car parked on a drive therefore preventing it joining the Queens Highway. Whether the Police or local council would actually do anything is another matter!
My neighbours girlfriend often parks overnight in front of his which would be fine if she didn't park halfway across mine. Before he put the dropped kerb in, his previous girlfriend parked in front of mine and put a scribbled note through my letterbox stating that "If you need the car moving during the night, call me on this number and I'll move it!" The subsequent scream of "F*cking Cheeky B*tch" which they heard through the walls resulted in the car being moved before I could get my shoes on to go next door! She did see me stood at the door glowering at her when she got back from parking it a whole fifty yards further up the street, lazy cow!! She couldn't get inside quick enough!!

[talksthetorque]

MoggieMinor said:

If you have a driveway anyway why not park on that?It will always be safer than parking on the road.

Roof tiles in a storm?

I think the hatched white lines are there to stop people who wanted a parking bay but found them all full from parking there and blocking your drive.
If you park there you are relying on the person who may ticket you :-
a) knowing that it's your car in front of your drive
b) then deciding not to ticket you anyway because they hit their bonus already*.

If you do park there and you get blocked out/in - when the person finally comes back they're likely to say
" Well I saw someone in a Brown Allegro** park there yesterday"

* Probably an urban myth
**substitute brown allegro for your car unless I am awesome at guessing

[PorkInsider]

Looks to me as though the hatched area is aimed at preventing people parking right up to the road/driveway, or whatever it is, just after OP's driveway.

Presumably because anyone egressing from that road would have severely limited visibility with vehicles parked in the hatched area.

[Vee]

A picture showing the hatched area in the context of the immediate area woukd be useful.

[Red Devil]

MoggieMinor said:

Is in not against the law to park in front of a dropped kerb anyway?

In general terms, yes, but the legislation provides for specific exemptions.*

MoggieMinor said:

Even if it is yours?

Do you mean by this what I think you do? - i.e. you parking in front of the dropped kerb to your own driveway.
If so, a classic example of an increasing trend in SP&L: not reading the thread before hitting the submit button.

Hint: click on the link in the post above yours.

 * The exemption does not apply to a shared driveway.

Short Grain said:

trickywoo said:

I think this is right but only if you are obstructing a car getting off the drive and onto the road and not from the road onto the drive.

I think it's the other way, you cannot block a car parked on a drive therefore preventing it joining the Queens Highway.

The contagion is getting worse and we haven't even got to page 2 of the thread yet.

Short Grain said:

Whether the Police or local council would actually do anything is another matter!

Where an offence has been committed the police won't be involved unless it is in one of the few areas in E&W where parking has yet to be decriminalised. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...

That said, the offence of unnecessary obstruction, which is a matter for the police still exits. However in today's world of stretched resources they simply don't have the manpower to devote to it.
In a decriminalised area they will tell you to take it up with the LA. If there is a CEO nearby you might get lucky and the transgressor will get a PCN.
Unfortunately that does little to resolve your current problem: that of restoring access to/from your driveway!

I would be interested to know whence the distinction trickywoo refers to originated. This appears to be a widely held belief but Section 86(1)(iii) of the TMA 2004 says otherwise.