Parking Question

[Itsmylife]

Hi, first post here. I live in small row of houses on a main road and there are parking spaces marked out by the council on the pavement. A couple of households keep traffic cones outside their houses to stop others parking there, is this legal? The spaces are not for residents only so anyone is entitled to park there.

[boxtops]

You've said it yourself - no, it's not legal. We have parking permits for our road, but it doesn't entitled us to a particular space in the road, just to park in the area.

[Gizmonster]

As far as I'm aware, if that land is not privately owned, then it's deemed as public highway - anyone can park there and it's certainly not legal to try and claim as their own by putting cones there. It's just like putting cones on the street outside your house to stop other people parking there. It's a bit frustrating when someone parks outside your house, but it's not illegal to park there .... assuming it's not parking permits, etc.

[heathfield]

Just move the cones.

[hc4361]

They can no more put cones there than they can an armchair and a coffee table.
You can report them to the council for obstructing the public highway or flytipping

[Buenchico]

"every person who, by means of any cart, carriage, sledge, truck, or barrow, or any animal, or other means, wilfully interrupts any public crossing, or wilfully causes any obstruction in any public footpath or other public thoroughfare" . . ."shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding £1000 for each offence, or, in the discretion of the justice before whom he is convicted, may be committed to prison, there to remain for a period not exceeding fourteen days"
-Town Police Clauses Act 1847 [as amended].

BTW, the same piece of legislation makes it an offence (punishable by up to 14 days in prison) to beat any carpet, rug or mat in the street, except if it's a doormat and you ensure that you beat it before 8am. ;-)

[vulcan42]

I would print out what buenchico has C & P and stick it to a cone!

[Itsmylife]

Many thanks for your replies. Vulcan, I might just do that.

[Baldric]

Just a thought, have they got receipts for the cones, or are they stolen property?

[paddywak]

We had a shopkeeper in our village who,when ever he had a delivery due would cone off the parking bay in front of his shop so the delivery wagon could unload directly in front of his shop despite having access,albeit rather tight.Eventually police did him and according to the local rag it cost him £1000 and a caution that if he continued to do it the police would continue to prosecute him.