Freeom of Infromation

I live in a street very close to the town centre and we have massive problems with shoppers/workers parking in the street.
We have written to the Highways Department a number of times but nothing seems to be happening.
I assume the issue will have been discussed by councillors and highways staff. Have I the right to see what has been discussed and the outcome of these discussions? if I have who should I apply to?
Thanks.

 

The highways department of the controlling council.

 

There are exemptions to disclosure but it is worth asking. Look on the council website, should be a page about FOI, sometimes an online form to fill in.

 

I would guess the only solution would be to introduce permit parking which would require each resident to pay an annual fee to cover the cost of policing it, and you to buy a book of passes for visitors.

 

Same here. I think we should have permit parking which is incremental based on the number of cars per household. e.g. Free for first vehicle, £50 for 2nd, £100 for 3rd etc.

I always seem to be out when they do those events when the councillors come round on a Saturday morning!

 

council are a waste of space when you write. Never bothered to reply to me on 3 occasions.

 

I sympathise with you both, Dustani and EastStander.

I live in a village which is on the Cambridge to King's Cross line, and I'm about 200 metres from the station. The road is full of commuters who won't pay to park, and also people going away for the week or weekend. And some inconsiderate tw*ts park so that they are sticking across the drive and I can't get my vehicle out.

The council have so refused to make the road residents only.

 

Indeed. Be careful what you wish for . . .

I live next door to a village pub and on Sundays parking is a nightmare and people do park across my drive. It's annoying as hell but from my experience of living in York I'd not want permit parking.

 

Follow it up with a complaint to the ICO. The mechanisms are in place, people just have to use them.

 

Have you tried your ward Councillors, get them on side they are powerfull alies in these matters, get your neighbours together and draw up a petition to present to them and highlight the problems this issue is causing you and your neighbours. FOI requests should be replied to within 20 working days, and you can ask for written documents (minutes, e-mails etc.) relating to conversations about the issue.

 

Get a cheap, clapped out banger (something nice and big) and park it across your drive. Move it out of the way when you want to go in or out and nobody else will be able to block you in.

 

The clapped out banger would need to be taxed and insured.

 

If somebody blocks your drive then can't the police do something about it?

 

Personally I would get a tow rope, find the towing eye on the offending vehicle, attach it to my car with said tow rope and drag the bugger into the middle of the road, not enough to cause a total obstruction but enough to attract the interest of the 'authorities' when they are passing by. I know someone in Essex who got sick of someone blocking his yard entrance and copied the idea seen on u-Tube .... He used his crane lift and placed the car between two nearby steel posts that had about 3 inches either end of the car and left the w*anker to sort it out when he returned. Guy apparently came round 'giving it large' until he saw the size of my mate. Nothing he could do he had been careful not to cause any damage to the car whatsoever whilst moving it. Police refused to get involved.

 

Tried that several times, but the police think if I can just squeeze out of my drive it's not worth all the paperwork! Never mind that I can't get back in!

Having said that, the police did a fantastic job for me on Sunday in recovering 3 caravans within one hour of having been stolen from my business!

 

The police do a pretty good job generally and I'm sure they can do without the need to speak to selfish inconsiderate idiots who park across other folks driveways but if it keeps happening I would expect them to do something before I did something silly.

 

Seems a lot of people are under the impression that they own the patch of road outside their home...I do sympathise with it being close to the town centre but if there's no permit system or restrictions in place then it's fair game for anyone who pays road tax

 

It is not about ownership of the space but blocking a drive entrance is classed as causing an obstruction to other road users and could also be considered 'driving without due consideration to other road users' (like splashing a pedestrian or cyclist where there is standing water etc. deemed an offence under the road traffic act. The police would be entitled to a) issue a ticket and b) tow the car away if deemed it was causing a serious obstruction.

 

Also it appears from your post that you consider it 'fair game' to block someone in their driveway. Supposing it was a doctor on call and he could not get out of his drive in an emergency??

 

That scenario weint happen. GP's don't go on call anymore do they?