I’ve been told by council I can’t park on my OWN driveway – now they’re charging me £30 to leave my car on the road

A PENSIONER was told he wasn't allowed to park on his own driveway and he now has to pay to leave his car on the road.

Bob Howes, 73, and his wife Dawn have lived in the property for 20 years and never had an issue with parking before.

The couple said they were shocked when they received a letter from the council banning them from parking on their drive because it had no dropped kerb.

Despite offering to pay £3,000 for one to be installed, it was rejected.

The 73-year-old said he is 'embarrassed' that he now has to leave his car on the street despite clearly having a driveway.

To add insult to injury Bob also has to pay £30 a year for a permit to leave his car on the road because he lives in a controlled parking zone.

They have lived at their home in Southampton, Hants, since 1984.

Motorists in Southampton can be fined if access to a driveway is over a pavement or verge without a dropped kerb.

The civil servant of 30 years said: “It’s a little bit embarrassing for us.

“To us, we have off-road parking, and we’ve had to explain to neighbours why we’re no longer parking there.

“I’d been parking on the drive for at least 20 years.

“Now we pay £30 a year for a parking permit and have a space on the other side of the road, as it does get busy around here.”

His £160 application for a dropped kerb was rejected because his frontage was just 50 centimetres short of council requirements, 4.3 metres rather than 4.8 metres, despite his Hyundai i10 only being 3.6m long.

“I’m willing to pay to have the work done, it would be in the region of £3,000,” he continued.

“For the council to collate that type of sum from me at the current £30 a year rate, it would take decades before they receive £3,000.”

In a statement, Cllr Eamonn Keogh, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “The requirements for a vehicle crossover, or dropped kerb as they are more often known as, are available to view on our website.

“If the front or back of the vehicle faces the road, there is a minimum required space of 4.8m depth by 2.4m width within the property concerned.

“This is enough to accommodate the average estate car at 4.7m long, and the overall average car length of 4.4m.

“The minimum space requirements ensure that we meet our duty, as the Highway Authority, to ensure that all users of the highway can use the footway.

“Vehicles overhanging the footway, even by a small amount, can make passing difficult for some users such as parents with buggies or people with a mobility aid.

“The minimum size requirements of off-road parking spaces for vehicle crossovers have changed over time, and so there will be properties in Southampton that have had their vehicle crossovers approved in the past with different requirements, however new applications must meet the current criteria which is available to view on our website.”