when I needed "highway access" for our first house - the original access being on a bit of the garden that had been sold off - I was required to build the access to "highway standards" for 6 feet from the road edge. A full 5 cuyds of Readymix solved that. 1965 that was and it still looks as strong as ever.
No it's not. Trucks don't use that road (and there are too many poles at roadside to let them reach the pavement). We're talking the whole length of the pavement.
But look at the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Clueless is another word.
"Leaving ?things? (including advertising boards) on the highway
According to the Highways Act 1980 ( Section 148 and Section 149) it is an offence if ?a person deposits any thing whatsoever on a highway to the interruption of any user of the highway without lawful authority or excuse or if the thing ?constitutes a nuisance? ? or constitutes a ?danger to users of the highway (including a danger caused by obstructing the view)? then they they can remove it without delay and recover the cost of removal from the owner. This can be used by councils (sometimes) to removed advertising boards."
Cheers, T i m
Talking of obstructing the view, there are a few roundabouts near us which have bushes and trees cultivated on them (they are obviously maintained, so their presence is not accidental). Not being able to see over the roundabout is a bit of a bloody nuisance. Do you suppose they do this on purpose? They seem to like punishing motorists round here.
But isn't that only where there is the provision (typically a dropped kerb)?
*Obviously* every one of us who has to drive ride across the pavement to gain access to our property *has* to also drive on / across the pavement ... but then there would typically be a dropped kerb (as it was suggested by the Council I would have to have to allow me to continue to gain vehicular access to my own property).However, maybe the reason nothing is generally done about it (the authorities seeing your vehicle on a piece of land where the only way on would be to mount the kerb and drive across the pavement) is that I believe they have to witness you doing so, as you could have had the vehicle craned there.
Plus many of the local authority / and other service vehicles also often drive up the kerb and across the pavement and park (or work on) their own property so I think it's one of those things where there simply aren't enough personnel (or desire) to deal with 99% of it.
Cheers, T i m
And as I have mentioned elsewhere, that may be only where there has been some provision for that, like a dropped kerb?
The fact that it's not specifically mentioned may not mean that it can be assumed to be ok?
I thought one reason it *wasn't* allowed is because of potential damage to the kerb?
Cheers, T i m
I'm just wonndering if there is something else that allows councils to insist on it, like a local byelaw that they pretty well all have.
Same here.
It is, especially if you are trying to 'make good progress'. ;-)
I think they possibly might. If you spoil the sight line like that then I guess it forces (good) drivers to slow their speed accordingly?
Easy target, easy money, although they never seem to be where the really bad drivers are to punish them? ;-(
That said, I was behind a police car when then came to a car that had pulled out of a petrol station intending to turn right and obstructed that one lane. The Police car pulled in front of them, forcing them back into the petrol station and later on I saw the car still parked up and the occupants walking off.
So, either they were pulled up for 'obstructing the free flow of traffic' or the Policemen recognised the driver and had history on him ...
Cheers, T i m
It's not too bad if the centre of the roundabout is obscured by trees or a large hump of land. The real problem is when they put a large sign (eg a direction sign) low down on the island between the entry and exit lanes for a road leading onto the roundabout, obscuring your view of traffic from the right when you are waiting to join the roundabout. If they are going to put a sign there (and it's a good place for traffic wanting to know which road to take) then they need to put it on legs that are high enough that you can see under the sign when you are checking whether it's clear yet to pull out.
On the approaches to this roundabout:
a barrier has been erected so that you can't see approaching traffic until the last minute, presumably with the intention of making you approach the give way line more slowly, rather than speeding through if you think it is clear.
Chris
I know some councils have different rules on pavement parking so it's entirely possible.
When they wrote to me stating that they believed I had been crossing the pavement illegally to access my garage (so where did that come from if I'm allowed to access my own property by crossing the pavement?).
I had just put the remains of a car out on the road for collection by a scrap man and they had noticed that it had no TAX. I wrote back saying that it didn't have an engine as I had removed it to build a kit car (so wasn't a 'motor vehicle') and because of the Council notifying me about not crossing the pavement with anything (including a sledge I believe), I wasn't able to return it to my own property when the scrap-man failed to turn up as arranged. I think the best they could do then was do me for 'obstructing the highway' as I could for leaving a wheely bin on the road or a skip. I sent them copies of the councils letters, including my acceptance of their offer to provide a dropped kerb and it was all dropped. ;-)
Cheers, T i m
On the 'old' road past the south side of the old Manston Airport, they've done something similar. The old road is narrow and partially residential, but the 'new' one is a dog-leg and longer. They haven't had much success discouraging people from using the old road, so they put in a single lane bit (for no other reason) and then put traffic lights on it with a long dwell time. Of course, people jumped the lights rather than wait, so they put up signs that block the view of other vehicles on the other side of the lights...
Streetview images are too old to show it...
Use a trolley jack to move it into the middle of the road. Then complain.
Is this a private road?
I'd also contact the DVLA myself. SORN means kept *off* the public roads, so no VED payable. If it is on a public road VED is applicable even if it never moves an inch.
It certainly is with no VED paid. Think it has to be insured too. But no MOT may only be an offence if driven.
Yes - at one time you paid extra rates for this. Dunno if it applies with the council tax.
Yes, it'll be deliberate. Same as the barriers on the central reservation as you approach a roundabout to stop you seeing it. The idea is it restricts your visibility, so forces you to slow down - I suspect this works as intended, reducing accidents.
Maybe, but I think it makes it a bit more dangerous. The one I have in mind is a small roundabout; and if you have already had to stop, it's quite common to pull out into it, thinking (but not really sure) that it's clear, while someone is just about to appear coming round the corner to your right. You're committed by now, so all you can do is keep going. I've never got used to it, and I go across the bloody thing twice a day :-)
If your car is trapped on your drive then the police will deal with the obstructing vehicle, but they won't help you if you simply cannot access your drive from the road, dropped kerb or not.
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