Council threatens families with a £1,000 fine... for parking on their own driveways

[Antaletriangle]

Council threatens families with a £1,000 fine... for parking on their own driveways

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:31 AM on 10th September 2008

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Furious residents have been left stunned after a council threatened to fine them £1,000 - for parking on their own driveways.


Homeowners in a quiet village have been told they have the wrong type of kerbs, despite having driven over them for the 50 years since the properties were built.


Councillors are using a law passed 30 years ago to stop them from parking beside their own homes.


Furious: Ken Laverack has been told he faces a £1,000 fine for parking on his own driveway as he has 'the wrong type of kerb'

But residents each face a £1,200 bill if they install 'dropped kerbs' that allow easier access to their driveways.


The council threat came in a letter delivered to 12 houses on Pinfold Street, a quiet road with smart semi-detached houses worth around £200,000 in Eastrington, East Yorkshire.


The properties were built between 1949 and 1952. Some were built with driveways and others were added years later.



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Two of the houses are council-owned, but they still received the letter - including baffled Ken Laverack, whose drive was built by the council 20 years ago after the 1980 Highways Act was introduced.

Retired Ken, 61, said: 'I just couldn't believe it when the letter arrived.


'The council themselves put my drive in 20 years ago and now they're saying I can't use it. It's absolutely ridiculous, my car is just on the road now.

Enlarge Up you go: Ken Laverack mounts the pavement in his car to get into his driveway, which was built by the council 20 years ago

'It's crazy that they didn't tell me about this when the drive was built.


'They could easily have done so because the act was in place then.


'We've sent a letter of complaint off to the council and will have to see what happens.


'I've lived here over 30 years, I've raised a family here yet I'm being told I can't park in my own drive.'


Neighbour Adam Stroud said: 'I think it is scandalous. My wife has lived here for 29 years and has driven all that time and I have been here for 18 years.


'It's madness to clamp down on it now.


'The Highways Act was issued 28 years ago so why were the kerbs not dropped then if the act is so vital. Why should we have to pay to have this work done to council property - the footpath - just so we can cross it to get to our private land?'


Roy Poulter, 63, an IT consultant who has lived on the street for 11 years, added: 'It's absolute nonsense. I've been driving over the kerbs for all these years with no problems and now they have sent us a letter aggressively ordering us to stop parking on our own drives.


'I was quoted £1200 to have the work done by a contractor which is a huge amount of money.'



Threat to fine: Twelve homes in Pinfold Street have been targeted by the council for parking in their own drives

Grandad Roy, who lives with wife Ellen, 60, added: 'People cannot afford to have the work done or the cost of a fine so are forced to park their vehicle on the street.


'Where do they expect people to find this amount of money - especially in the current climate?


'This is a farming village and Pinfold Street is regularly used by farmers as a route to get to the fields but with parked cars on the road they just cant get through.


'We need to sit down and talk to the council sensibly to find a solution.'


People have now been forced to leave their vehicles on the road after receiving the controversial letter from East Riding of Yorkshire Council.


Local Tory Councillor Mark Preston said: 'The current policy of East Riding Council in threatening residents with fines of up to £1000 to any household that does not comply with the regulation is heavy handed, and is ill-timed in light of the current economic pressures on many households.'


The letter claims that under the Highways Act, they must stop using their drives 'until a satisfactory means of access to the kerb of verge has been constructed.'


A spokesman for East Riding Council said: 'It is illegal under the 1980 Highways Act to drive a vehicle over a kerbed footway or verge which has become an increasing problem leading to sustainable damage to highways and cost to council taxpayers services including electrical cables and water pipes which are put at risk as a consequence of this inadequate use of the highways.


'The legislation deals with the use of the highways including verges and footways, it does not relate to private land.


'The council regularly takes action relating to unlawful access from the public highways throughout East Riding.


'This problem has been brought to our attention recently. Homeowners are able to apply for a properly constructed drop kerb to provide vehicular access to property and many thousands of East Riding residents have followed this procedure.'

We all have to be made aware of these ridiculous matters to know the directions in which issues are going.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...driveways.html

[mikey]

Its madness...i cant stand this ****ting country sometimes...

peace

bananaman