Useful Links

Sussex police have set up a very comprehensive and easy to use website to report on these issues.

Sussex Police first advise that you should check with neighbours to see who owns the vehicle.Please be aware that although parking on a dropped kerb over a driveway is a parking offence, police have limited powers when it comes to blocked driveways.

If the registered owner is not contactable or the local authority is unable to assist and you are unable to get your own vehicle off your driveway, police may be able to make efforts to contact the registered keeper and attend if it is necessary. If you are able to squeeze by, even with difficulty, then your drive is not actually blocked and police will not attend.

If the matter is a continuing problem rather than a single occasion, then the issue could be addressed as anti-social behaviour. You can report this online here.

Drivers need to be considerate when parking. The highway code (Rules 239 to 247) is very clear on where drivers must not park:

• a pedestrian crossing, including the area marked by the zig-zag lines
• a road marked with double white lines, even when a broken white line is on your side of the road, except to pick up or set down passengers, or to load or unload goods
• You MUST NOT park in parking spaces reserved for specific users, such as Blue Badge holders, residents or motorcycles, unless entitled to do so
• You MUST NOT leave your vehicle or trailer in a dangerous position or where it causes any unnecessary obstruction of the road.
• near a school entrance
• anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services
• at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank
• on the approach to a level crossing/tramway crossing
• opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space
• near the brow of a hill or hump bridge
• opposite a traffic island or (if this would cause an obstruction) another parked vehicle
• where you would force other traffic to enter a tram lane
• where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles
• in front of an entrance to a property
• on a bend
• where you would obstruct cyclists’ use of cycle facilities except when forced to do so by stationary traffic.
• You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.
• Double yellow lines mean no waiting at any time, unless there are signs that specifically indicate seasonal restrictions. The times at which the restrictions apply for other road markings are shown on nearby plates or on entry signs to controlled parking zones. If no days are shown on the signs, the restrictions are in force every day including Sundays and Bank Holidays.
• Please note Goods vehicles. Vehicles with a maximum laden weight of over 7.5 tonnes (including any trailer) MUST NOT be parked on a verge, pavement or any land situated between carriageways, without police permission. The only exception is when parking is essential for loading and unloading, in which case the vehicle MUST NOT be left unattended.

If you see vehicles parking illegally in your area, please follow the steps below:

1. If there is an ongoing problem, please use the letter template provided on this website to do a letter-drop in the area to remind people what constitutes illegal parking.  Please do not place letters on the parked cars themselves nor use the letter to target or harass any individuals.  The Parish Council does not recommend any direct or aggressive approaches to alleged offenders. Please click here for the letter-drop template.  If you would like to print off two A5 posters on one piece of paper please click onto the ‘Multiple’ option under ‘Paper Sizing and Handling’ and choose two pages per sheet.
2. After the letter-drop, if the cars are still parking illegally, contact the Parish Council. Please provide:

• photographic evidence of the car parking illegally on more than one occasion
• the address of the owner of the car if known (just house number/name and street name is necessary)
• The dates and details of the letter-drop stage.

The matter will be taken to Full Council for councillors to vote on. If they resolve to send a letter, this will be sent out by the Clerk on behalf of the Parish Council.

If after steps 1. and 2. the vehicle(s) are still parking illegally this needs to be reported by calling 101.