Houses With Drives To Be Valued More?

[Riedquat]

I speak about UK over-population in generic terms and usually get shouted at, but this thread highlights a very tangible product of that phenomenon. It doesn't take a philosopher to extrapolate how much worse things will be when the population hits 72 million in a few years. If one looks at other high-density countries like Japan or Singapore, the future of the British landscape is easy to picture - highrise upon highrise for the plebs, while the dukes and duchesses continue to live on their thousand acre estates.

Although in general I agree with the overpopulation issue this isn't an example of it. Most streets too narrow for cars are simply too narrow for cars because they were designed and built before cars existed (or at least before they were at all common)., and will have to remain that way unless we want to knock down lots of perfectly good housing in order to replace it with wider roads and badly-designed, badly-built modern rubbish.

[frankief]

I speak about UK over-population in generic terms and usually get shouted at, but this thread highlights a very tangible product of that phenomenon. It doesn't take a philosopher to extrapolate how much worse things will be when the population hits 72 million in a few years. If one looks at other high-density countries like Japan or Singapore, the future of the British landscape is easy to picture - highrise upon highrise for the plebs, while the dukes and duchesses continue to live on their thousand acre estates.

Yes, the politicians call it growth - apparently it's a good thing.

[happy_renting]

They should stop making obese cars. The Vauxhall Corsa has got wider and wider as the years move on.

But so have the occupants.

[SarahBell]

But so have the occupants.

Do you not think people expand to fill the space?

Perhaps pandering to fat people just encourages them?

[Jadoube]

The census will reveal all most.

Most,

Assuming the muppets fail to convince people not to fill it in^* - hoping thereby to ensure a) their mates get the contract to produce alternative figures and there are no inconvenient items of data that could be used to challenge their 'ideas'.

* Mind you the nonsense that asking how many bedrooms there are in a house equates to spying on people's sex lives has fun implications. Estate agents on the high street = pornographers displaying 'private' data on sex lives.

for example

a bedroom snoopers’ charter.

You have to laugh.

[winkie]

Although in general I agree with the overpopulation issue this isn't an example of it. Most streets too narrow for cars are simply too narrow for cars because they were designed and built before cars existed (or at least before they were at all common)., and will have to remain that way unless we want to knock down lots of perfectly good housing in order to replace it with wider roads and badly-designed, badly-built modern rubbish.

Should think yourself lucky if you do have a pavement, many roads don't......it is quite common to have parking lines part on the road and part on the pavement to help the flow of traffic......once driving down a relatively narrow road with parking either side was on a stand off with a white van, who was going to be the first to reverse the length of the road......I turned my engine off and got my book out.

[Nickolarge]

I think its a great idea. The number of tw@ts who block the path so you have to walk in the road is incredible. Just because they live there they seem to think its their parking space and not a public footpath. Often its only a matter of them moving their car a few feet further down the road, but no, selfish Britain says "sod you I will park here".

If they have a problem with it then

i) sell the car

ii) sell the house and buy one with a parking space or wider road

iii) park your car a distance away and use your two legs to walk a little bit, incredible thought eh.

And by the same token, if you have a problem with their parking, don't walk up that road.

Seriously though, I park half on the pavement because it gives the vehicles using my road room to get by more easily. It's not for my benefit. If the LibDems round here get their way and ban it I will park fully on the street. There are no yellow lines so that would be perfectly legal. It would also dramatically slow the traffic outside which would be a bonus. The downside would be more accidents such as broken mirrors etc.

[Guest The Relaxation Suite]

The Tesco thing - is it not possible that people are just buying more staples? Also on this thread is talk of how obese people are getting so this would make sense, no? I cannot believe the population of the UK is 80 million. My estimate is about 62 or 63 million. I think it went up over a whopping 10% under Labour in just a few years. The end result is more cars parked all over the pavements and queues for the post offices spilling out all over the place.

[Nickolarge]

About 20 years ago I visited Merthyr Tydfil. There were streets of terraced houses, with no cars at all in the street. People were so poor they couldn't afford them, and had nowhere to go anyway, I guess.

I doubt it's any better there now.

Now there's nobody in the houses either. Last time I was there was in 2004 and it was a tip then. I know for a fact that a fair number of the firms that I used to visit have gone now.

[General Melchett]

Although in general I agree with the overpopulation issue this isn't an example of it. Most streets too narrow for cars are simply too narrow for cars because they were designed and built before cars existed (or at least before they were at all common)., and will have to remain that way unless we want to knock down lots of perfectly good housing in order to replace it with wider roads and badly-designed, badly-built modern rubbish.

You should try visiting some modern, high density housing developments if you think that. Houses are now typically built (round these parts) contiguous with narrow access roads. If there is any pedestrian access it is in the form of 'colour-coded' pavements level with the road surface to allow vehicles to drive and park on it. Houses are also so shoe-horned in that even if you do have designated parking or garages, actually getting a car on and off them if your neighbours are already parked on their designated postage stamp would be next to impossible.

[Riedquat]

You should try visiting some modern, high density housing developments if you think that. Houses are now typically built (round these parts) contiguous with narrow access roads. If there is any pedestrian access it is in the form of 'colour-coded' pavements level with the road surface to allow vehicles to drive and park on it. Houses are also so shoe-horned in that even if you do have designated parking or garages, actually getting a car on and off them if your neighbours are already parked on their designated postage stamp would be next to impossible.

I'm assuming that most of those come from the idiocy of the last decade or so where there was a ridiculous attitude of "Don't provide for cars and no-one will use them."

I've always been puzzled as to how modern high-density developments seem to make such a mess of it compared to Victorian ones, probably without even managing greater density.

[19 year mortgage 8itch]

Excuse me for stating the blindingly obvious but aren't houses with off road parking already though to be worth more?

[SarahBell]

Excuse me for stating the blindingly obvious but aren't houses with off road parking already though to be worth more?

They are usually.

Maybe the gap will get bigger between tiny terraces on streets where there's no parking though and those houses where you can safely park a car at.

[Cinnamon]

How if it's private land? They would otherwise be people's front gardens.

If you tear up your front garden to park there, it means that the piece of street before it no longer is a parking space that is available to everyone, but has to be kept clear instead. So, you gain 2 private parking places that are always at your disposal, whilst everyone else loses at least one public space.

Strange that the council permits this blatant landgrab.

[thod]

The solution is to do like they do in other countries. If you cannot prove you have a parking space, then you cannot have a car, simple as that. Public roads exist for the public to drive on. People using them as free car parks is the appropriation of public property property by private individuals and that is as unacceptable as fencing off a public park for private use.

[SarahBell]

The solution is to do like they do in other countries. If you cannot prove you have a parking space, then you cannot have a car, simple as that.

Which countries do that?

[mitchbux]

If you tear up your front garden to park there, it means that the piece of street before it no longer is a parking space that is available to everyone, but has to be kept clear instead. So, you gain 2 private parking places that are always at your disposal, whilst everyone else loses at least one public space.

Strange that the council permits this blatant landgrab.

Not surprising, as they charge a small fortune for dropping the kerb.

[Riedquat]

The solution is to do like they do in other countries. If you cannot prove you have a parking space, then you cannot have a car, simple as that. Public roads exist for the public to drive on. People using them as free car parks is the appropriation of public property property by private individuals and that is as unacceptable as fencing off a public park for private use.

The same public who actually live on that street, who'll be by far the majority users of your average residential street. If it's not a significant through route then you're talking about making things a lot more awkward for a lot of people whilst benefitting exactly who?

Anyway, I've never heard of any country doing that.

[Rare Bear]

The same public who actually live on that street, who'll be by far the majority users of your average residential street. If it's not a significant through route then you're talking about making things a lot more awkward for a lot of people whilst benefitting exactly who?

Anyway, I've never heard of any country doing that.

I thought that there was such a rule in Japan or maybe just Tokyo?

[Venger]

If you tear up your front garden to park there, it means that the piece of street before it no longer is a parking space that is available to everyone, but has to be kept clear instead. So, you gain 2 private parking places that are always at your disposal, whilst everyone else loses at least one public space.

Strange that the council permits this blatant landgrab.

For a new drop-kerb you need to obtain the permission of the Highways Department at the council. They wouldn't allow my parents a second drop kerb.

It's a bit more complicated to lay a new driveway in place of a front garden than it used to be, with the 2008 regulations that became law in October 1st 2008. That is if you choose to comply with them. I don't know what the authorities can do if you don't. The regulations require partial water run off to be returned to the earth and water table to combat flooding and because it's more sensible or ecological.

either the hard surface shall be made of porous materials, or provision shall be made to direct run-off water from the hard surface to a permeable or porous area or surface within the curtilage of the dwellinghouse.

http://www.pavingexp...rontGardens.htm

Edited March 16, 2011 by Venger