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Parking wars: When nice neighbours turn nasty

Christina Hoghton
Written By:
Christina Hoghton
Posted:
Updated:
18/09/2017

The struggle is real when it comes to parking outside your own property

Brits are being driven parking mad, with almost a third (29%) of residents having trouble finding a parking space outside their home, according to GoCompare.

Some 15% admit to falling out with their neighbours over parking arrangements. 

It’s so bad that over half (54%) of people surveyed said that when they look for a new home, a driveway or dedicated parking space will be a ‘must-have’ feature.

The comparison site said added that nearly half (49%) of those who have problems parking think the situation on their road has got a lot worse in the last 10 years, with 19% saying that most days they have difficulty finding a parking space near their home. 

Car boom = no room

The study suggests that increasing car ownership of 42% in the last 20 years is exacerbating residential parking problems. Over a quarter (26%) of residents who experience issues parking outside their home themselves live in households with more than one car.

The research also found that residents’ parking permits were not always the solution to parking problems.  Of those living in streets where parking is regulated by permits, only 36% think the system helps to reduce parking problems while 12% say parking permits have made the situation worse.  18% didn’t feel enough is done to enforce parking restrictions in their street.

Matt Oliver, of GoCompare Car Insurance, said: “Many residential areas, particularly old terraced streets, predate the existence of cars so were not designed to accommodate parking. Especially when you consider that car ownership has increased considerably over the past 20 years. 

“Some of the residents taking part in our study clearly feel plagued by parking problems at home. But, unless you have a driveway or designated parking space, you have no legal right to park outside your home. So long as they are complying with any restrictions, such as parking permits, yellow lines or zigzags, and are not causing an obstruction, anyone is entitled to park in a residential area.”  


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