No parking on roadside

[Doughnut]

Using a footpath / right of way is one thing. What about the grass verge between the road way / path to the base fence. Most spotters / photographers stand there and place ladders against the fence, surely this is more of a concern in terms of encouraging others to gather ? Before complaints fly yes I have stood and photographed from there and it is very good and I would not wish to lose that location, but if people stood back on the bank other side of the roadway it is stiil a very place to be. From what I read it is not the footpath, its use or standing there that is the problem, it is the available car parking places which sometimes reaches its capacity. The road from the traffic lights to the spotter car park is surely wide enough even for the business operators and farmers that pass by to allow parking to at least one side ? One has to wonder on the costs involved in applying for parking restrictions, carrying out the works, signage and indeed enforcement measures that the Council wish to go through for what is after all a transient problem.

[XWP29]

Being able to use a footpath but not entering onto private land adjacent to the FP are different matters. A case of seeing what arises I guess.

[Undertaker]

Looking at the picture of the sign [see earlier] there appears to be provision for a barrier or gate at the site [?]

[100arw]

Its someone's drive for *uck sake. Even if you ignore the sign, why are some still pointing how to use it?

[Malcolm]

Its someone's drive for *uck sake. Even if you ignore the sign, why are some still pointing how to use it?

Because it's a public right of way.

[James Cutting]

Its someone's drive for *uck sake. Even if you ignore the sign, why are some still pointing how to use it?

Since when has a public footpath been someone's drive?! It stops being a public footpath when it goes onto their site.

[James Cutting]

Looking at the picture of the sign [see earlier] there appears to be provision for a barrier or gate at the site [?]

Think that's always been there.

[Doughnut]

If the land owner is getting that ticked off with people using the roadway then simply close and padlock a gate each time they use it. Unless the public right of way is also a designated bridleway (ie for horses) the landowner only need to provide a pedestrian side gate or even a stile over the fence.

[The Phantom]

I think to many people have taken it for granted, the land owner is now fed up with this.

Just waiting for the clearway signs to be put up and the raised verges on the 1065.

It’s a shame for the regular decent spotters.

The A1065 is already a Clearway. If you look on Google maps, or next time you happen to drive passed the main gate at Lakenheath, you will see the sign indicating the start of it and that it runs for 4 miles. I think you will find that that mileage easily covers the distance to the traffic lights at Wangford Road.

Yes it is a clearway. But doesn't a clearway void you from stopping on the road at any time - but not from pulling off the road onto a verge?
Which would be why last year when the police passed several times they didn't move any vehicles.

[rh226]

Correct. If you stop on a Clearway, you must pull completely off the carriageway.

[XWP29]

Its someone's drive for *uck sake. Even if you ignore the sign, why are some still pointing how to use it?

Checking OS maps online it is a green dashed line indicating a footpath. The old farm house has a footpath between two walls which form part of the path. Yet a gate was put there and I used to make a point of walking the path. However OS say their maps are not definitive and the local authority should be contacted to check.

The sign posted doesn’t say foot path closed.

[Malcolm]

If the land owner is getting that ticked off with people using the roadway then simply close and padlock a gate each time they use it. Unless the public right of way is also a designated bridleway (ie for horses) the landowner only need to provide a pedestrian side gate or even a stile over the fence.

Err, not so. The land owner cannot install a gate or style on a right of way without the councils permission (unless one already exists). I very much doubt the highways authority have approved the gate that appears to already be there already Applying for permission typically cost many thousands of pounds. Point 16 below

https://www.ramblers.org.uk/advice/path ... y-law.aspx

The owner could potentially put in a width restriction which I believe must leave at least a 1m wide open gap where the right of way is, but doing anything that completely blocks, obstructs or hinders access to the right of way is illegal. If it weren't, then a land owner could install a gate or style every 6 feet for 100yards making the right of way almost impossible to use. A width restriction would stop vehicle access, but still allow pedestrians unrestricted access.

All of this is why it's vital to get a good land registry and Local Authority search done whenever you buy a property or some land. If there is a right of way across whatever you buy, then you cannot obstruct it. This is quite common with older terraced housing where the 'middle' houses have right of way over the back gardens of the end houses. There have even been cases of new properties having to be demolished because the developer has built over a right of way. That can give the general public the right to walk in your front door, through your lovely new house and out the back door.

[Nighthawke]

Correct. If you stop on a Clearway, you must pull completely off the carriageway.

Unless there is an additional plate saying something like "including verges"?

[Malcolm]

Correct. If you stop on a Clearway, you must pull completely off the carriageway.

Unless there is an adiitional plate saying something like "including verges"?

Err, again no. AIUI the 'highway' includes all the verges up to the boundary with the adjacent land owned by someone else. That's why you can get done for parking on the verges behind double yellow lines, or parking a car with no tax/mot there - it's still considered part of the highway. What rh226 says is technically correct - you must pull completely off the carriageway. The carriageway is not just the tarmac though - it's all the land owned/managed by the highways agency.

The fact the rozzers don't (generally) move people on is basically down to them having better things to do, or donuts to eat.

[Nighthawke]

Sorry Malcolm, I though Bob meant that the verge ok to pull onto as has been the case at Lakenheath. I never "park"/abandon on a clearway verge. However I thought I had seen signs that specified specifically including the verge - maybe purely for clarity as, like you, I take highway to include verges. The more the police allow flagrant breaches the more people will do it. What this country needs is proper and full law enforcement.

[rh226]

Yes, "highway" does include the verges etc on either side of the metalled surface.

However, "clearway" only applies to the carriageway - the metalled surface between the dotted white lines along each edge - and specifically excludes verges, etc on either side.

The Traffic Regulation Order setting up the clearway can also specify that the verges be included, but the signage at the commencement of the clearway must also specify this.

[Nighthawke]

Thank Bob - that's clarified what I was getting at. There are still many occasions when some park within the law but could use extra common sense.

[powerslave]

Would we still be allowed to park up at the side of the road on the grass verges which leads upto the viewing area.
Many people park here when the viewing area is full and vehicles can still get past.

[TeeJay]

Would we still be allowed to park up at the side of the road on the grass verges which leads upto the viewing area.
Many people park here when the viewing area is full and vehicles can still get past.

Not heard as confirm as yet but I think no parking will be enforced on here too. Those verges were marked as ‘nature reserve’ years ago. Next deployment to LN going to be ‘interesting’ for parking methinks.

It’s about time they enforced no parking on the verge of the main (A1065) road though, before someone gets killed!

[paddyboy]

Well said, Trevster