Motor Vehicle Parking

The Association understands that good management of car parking issues is important to our tenants and is committed to providing the best possible service on car park related matters.   

Who is permitted to park in our car parks? 

Our car parks are available for our tenants to park their cars, vans and motorcycles.  As most of our car parks do not have room to accommodate all our tenants there is no guaranteed parking.  In order to be as fair as possible, car parking spaces are available on a first come, first served basis. 

To prevent non-tenants using our car parks, the Association issues one parking permit per tenant to be displayed in the windscreen of your vehicle.  When you request a parking permit the Association will ask to see evidence of car ownership and will take note of your car details and Motor Vehicle Registration number.  This is to ensure that parking permits are issued to tenants who either own a vehicle or use a company car. 

Visitors and carers are permitted to park in our car parks.  It is helpful to our staff when checking the car parks, if visitors leave a note to say which property they are visiting. If you are living in a neighbourhood where demand for space in the car park is high, we would ask you to encourage your visitors to park nearby out of consideration for your neighbours. 

Are any types of vehicle not permitted? 

In communal car parks, tenants may not park trailers, caravans, buses or lorries.  This is due to the limited space available in our car parks. 

If you live in a house with your own driveway, the parking of trailers and caravans is permitted but the parking of buses or lorries is not due to the space required to accommodate such a vehicle. 

I am a disabled driver, can I have a designated space? 

If you are a Blue Badge holder or can supply similar supporting evidence relating to your disability, you can apply for a designated parking space.  If there is space available, the Association will mark out the space solely for your use. 

What does the Association do about unauthorised parking?

We understand the frustration caused by non-tenants using our schemes’ car parking facilities.  The Association has procedures in place to manage this issue to the best of our abilities but the powers we have at our disposal are limited. 

What we can do:

Our staff check the car parks regularly, both on scheduled visits to the scheme and when visiting for other matters. 

• We work closely with the Police and the DVLA in order to identify and contact persistent unauthorised parkers. 
• We will sticker unauthorised vehicles to alert them to the fact that our car parks are for residents only and to deter them from using our car park in the future.  This is why we ask that visitors leave a note to let our staff know which property they are visiting.
• Some of our car parks have barriers in place to restrict access.  Barriers are sometimes seen as a quick way to resolve persistent unauthorised parking issues, however not all our car parks have layouts which are suitable.  The Association’s experience of schemes where barriers are in operation is that they can present their own problems.  Where our car park facilities are free (with the exception of Stevenson Court’s enclosed area), the cost of installing and maintaining a barrier would be a service charge payable by tenants.  Car park barriers can be open to misuse and damage, which can create an additional source of frustration for tenants.  

As with any residential car park, it is impossible to completely prevent unauthorised use.  By working together, staff and tenants can take steps to reduce the problem. 

What does the Association do about abandoned cars? 

If you suspect a car has been abandoned in your car park please contact the Association as soon as possible.  Working with the DVLA and the Police, the Association will seek to contact owners of abandoned vehicles and have the car moved. 

The Association would consider a car to be abandoned if:

• There is no valid tax disc or Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN)
• The vehicle is in very poor condition and/or has not been moved for some time.
  

 Can the Association remove vehicles from the car park? 

The Association cannot remove vehicles but should a vehicle pose an immediate health and safety risk we can ask the Council to remove the vehicle as a priority.  If a vehicle appears to have been abandoned and the Association has exhausted all possible means of making contact with the vehicle’s registered owner, the decision may be made to have the vehicle removed by the council.  This is a lengthy process however, and issues with abandoned vehicles are usually resolved before it reaches this stage.

 Health and Safety in our car parks 

It is important that use of the car park does not create a risk to the health and safety of tenants and other users.  With this in mind: 

•  Tenants must not park outside of the designated areas.  Drivers must not park next to exits or junctions, on grassed areas or in a way that causes nuisance or annoyance to others.
• Tenants are not permitted to keep vehicles which are in an unsafe condition in the car park.
• Tenants are permitted to carry out maintenance on their vehicles as long as it does not cause a disturbance to other tenants or cause a health and safety risk.
• Grit salt bins have been provided for tenants’ use in some of our schemes but it is the tenants’ responsibility to make use of the grit salt provided.

 If you would like to discuss any matter related to car parking please contact our Customer Advice and Support Team by telephone on 01224 423000 or by email info@langstane-ha.co.uk