Use of our street as a short cut.

[emmdee]

From Al Murray...

If we had no rules where would we be? France! If we had too many rules where would we be? Germany!

Quite agree with Bill - casual lawlessness is on the increase and it's terribly depressing. In all likelihood, Simon et al will have to put up with fuds roaring down that lane when they could quite easily go the long way around. Not exactly up there with The Holocaust in the pantheon of crimes, but a daily annoyance to everyone living there. I had a similar problem myself with kids playing football next to my garden - these things might sound really petty unless you have to put up with them all the blooming time, but they can really get you down.

m.d.

[weedeno belfast]

only resolve would be get a petition to put a bollard at one end make it a dead end then cant be used as cut through but it will make your lives hell as well as owners but be safer in the end result

[tonyv70d5]

If the Council will not do anything why not you or one of your fellow residents stand for election as a local Councillor? That will make the other candidates think because they will lose votes and those lost votes might just affect their majority.

I have found in the past when the local council has been dilatory a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman has been of benefit.
1. It means the Chief Executive has to investigate and report.
2. The Head of Highways does not like the Chief Executive investigating his department.
3. The Council does not like it when the Local Government Ombudsman reports in the complainant's favour, nor do the Councillors for the Ward because it shows they did not take enough action.
4. Such a complaint has to be shown in the statistics for the Council.

I complained in a matter of maladministration and was awarded financial compensation from the Council which I refused because it was Council Tax payers' money but I made my point and I am now treated with respect and promptly.

Next, go for the local police and complain, after giving the local Police Chief sufficient notice, to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
1. The Chief Constable won't like it because his/her Force has come to notice.
2. The local Superintendent won't like it because he/she has come to notice.
3. The local beat bobby will like it because it will show he/she is toothless because resources are not there.

I am not sure whether or not the No Access is a points on the licence offence (endorseable) - this might be worth looking into.
With regard to pedestrians being inconvenienced there must the offence of:
a) driving without due care and attention (endorseable), or
b) driving with reasonable consideration for other users (endorseable).

Lastly, for today, ask the police to do eye-sight tests on the drivers of the vehicles offending. (I didn't see the sign, officer!) The delay in having to stand and take the test will definitely make the offender take another route. Also requesting the actual driving licence be produced to ensure a false name and address has not been supplied will take up time.

Oh, I wish I could be a constable and help you.

Tony V70 D5

[GaryS40]

Hi Simon

I have just read through this thread and I think the best plan of action would be to set the bollards up half way along the road, giving access to the residents at both ends, but no through road for the undesireable vehicular pestilence.

Backed up with "no through road" signs, that would stop the issue dead in it tracks.

Good luck with getting this resolved, sooner rather than later.

Gary

[scr8pdo]

We have streets round here called "Play Streets" they have a sign with figures/sillouettes of children playing, and only residents are supposed to be allowed to use the road.

A lot of roads round here are still cobbled which does slow traffic down, I can see your frustration if people are using it as a "Rat-Run" if a kid stepped out etc, but what can you do unless you take the law into your own hands?

[scr8pdo]

BTW, my wife as a child lived in a house where a road went past and basically cut the corner off, people used to turn 45 degrees and fly through past her house, the residents complained and the council ended up blocking the short cut off with bollards right in the middle, so they could still access their front drives but from either end, I will post a pic up or a link:http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl


Sorry put in poostcode RM10 8QB and you will see, also use the street view mode and you can see how they blocked the short cut.

They got the Councils attention because of the amount of accidents that did occur

[Volvorforlife]

There was a similar situation around here where people used a road for a shortcut. One of the people on the road started leaving his range rover blocking the traffic in one direction. Every morning I would be queued waiting to get past it on the way to drop one of the kids off for school. One morning while waiting to get passed it I noticed it was a different colour and thought he had bought a new RR until I got closer and seen that someone had poured tar all over the car.

If the sign says no entry except for access then the cops can't do anything as the people using it are accessing the road at the other end.

[tt82]

Originally Posted by scr8pdo

We have streets round here called "Play Streets" they have a sign with figures/sillouettes of children playing, and only residents are supposed to be allowed to use the road.

A lot of roads round here are still cobbled which does slow traffic down, I can see your frustration if people are using it as a "Rat-Run" if a kid stepped out etc, but what can you do unless you take the law into your own hands?

BTW, my wife as a child lived in a house where a road went past and basically cut the corner off, people used to turn 45 degrees and fly through past her house, the residents complained and the council ended up blocking the short cut off with bollards right in the middle, so they could still access their front drives but from either end, I will post a pic up or a link:http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl


Sorry put in poostcode RM10 8QB and you will see, also use the street view mode and you can see how they blocked the short cut.

They got the Councils attention because of the amount of accidents that did occur

The biggest problem is that unbelievibly, no accidents have occured. So until then the council do nothing. As it's election time we've contacted our local councillor and she is looking it it.

As I've been sat in the front room all morning, I've heard and seen all the cars flying through so I've decided to do exactly as you said and take the law into my own hands and blocked it with my car. It only took from me seeing a car race through (30mph ish) and jumping in my car at the back and bringing it round for another car to come down as I was getting out. We had the usual arguement and threats but I wouldn't move my car and the daft cow had to reverse up and go round. Got a photo of the car as well.

Originally Posted by Volvorforlife

There was a similar situation around here where people used a road for a shortcut. One of the people on the road started leaving his range rover blocking the traffic in one direction. Every morning I would be queued waiting to get past it on the way to drop one of the kids off for school. One morning while waiting to get passed it I noticed it was a different colour and thought he had bought a new RR until I got closer and seen that someone had poured tar all over the car.

If the sign says no entry except for access then the cops can't do anything as the people using it are accessing the road at the other end.

You need to read DaveNP's post to know what access means. It doesn not mean it can be used as a cut through. I posted already that our local bobby who came round at weekend sympathises with us and they hope to spend some time here stopping drivers themselves.

[scr8pdo]

Sounds fookin very dangerous, if my kids were playing out and someone hit them I wouldnt be responsible for my actions, you can see that is more of a walkway than a road, ok an access road to the houses but someone who lived there wouldnt be tear ar$ing through it.

If you could maybe get one of those massive concrete un moveable blocks they use to stop Travellers getting onto parks dropped at one end of the road, sod the law, just no one admit to dumping it there, something needs to be done before something bad happens, maybe if all the neighbours agree with each other take turns to park accross the path, you can buy bollards that can be locked up or down, sod the council, all pit in and install something yourselves or maybe a chain that spans accross with a No Entry sign in the middle.

I would certainly be doing something, imagine the worse, imagine the "I wish I hads" It will be too late then.

I really think taking this into your own hands maybe the only answer.

One scary thing you could do although some may not agree with me, is build a fake child like a Guy Fawkes, next time you see someone racing through, sling it out in front of the car, I bet they never go through again, we done it for a laugh years ago (I know, very irresponsible, but very young) the driver got out of his car and nearly collapsed in fear, he was a boy racer down our road who used to fly down at 50 od mph, me and my mate slung the Guy out from behind my dads Transit van, he locked up, hit it and ran it over and was as white as a sheet, he went beserk (quite right really) but it slowed him down afterwards as the neighbours sort of agreed with our prank although as I say a bit OTT but so is driving at speed down residential streets with kids about.

Iam putting my umbrella up now ready for the hailstorm of abuse iam gonna get from some of you now

[andy_d]

ill send you a new bigger brolly ste.