Residential Parking

Laid Back Bill

Hi all. Query relates to on street parking, specifically in a housing estate on the north side of Cork City.

My in laws live in a council house, in a cul de sac. Their direct neighbours are not in a council house (privately owned).

Their neighbours have a 2 x car driveway, but they are a 3 x car household. My in law's have a 1 x car driveway, but none of them drive. Overall the in-law's drive is the same size as their neighbours but half is grass covered and the grass part is covered by a wall i.e. the driveway opening is only 1 x car wide.

The neighbours parking routine is religious. It's 1 car in their drive, 1 car in front of their drive, the 3rd (and always the same car) parked in front of my in-law's house, but not blocking the in-law's drive.

Although none of my in-law's (in the house) drive, I drive a 7 seater, as does my sister in law (who doesn't live in the family home). So, anytime we all visit, which is a lot, 1 of us will park in the drive, the other will try to park in front of the drive. But, this space to park in front of the drive depends on the space left by the neighbour's car parked in front of their drive, and their other car parked in front of my in-law's house.

What's the problem? When we ask them to move (always politely, I might add) it's an ordeal. Today it was a flat out "No" which changed to "this is the last time". So I've had enough.

It's a public road so I know we (nor my in law's in the house, if they drove) have no right to the space outside the house. I'm wondering has anyone come across this? We've been speaking about extending the width of the driveway to allows us to get both cars in, but, it's a council house and I understand that's subject to planning. I know they'd appeal and the grounds to do so would be the reduction in on street parking (even though they can park 2 x cars in their drive but never do).

It's impossible to get the space outside the house. If the neighbour needs to use his car (outside our house) his wife or son moves their car from their drive, or outside their drive to block the space outside our house. They're that blatant about it.

Ideas welcome.

Spear

This has nothing to do with boards.ie. If you want to discuss planning issues, then asking the Construction and Planning forum:

https://www.boards.ie/categories/construction-planning