Pensioner Fined for Parking on a ‘Kerb to Nowhere’
An 81-year-old grandfather has been left furious after receiving a £70 fine for parking in front of a dropped kerb that leads to a fenced-off driveway, a spot he has used for years without complaint.
What Happened to Alan Hatch?
Alan Hatch, a retired firefighter from Wargrave in Berkshire, has been parking his Vauxhall Corsa on Recreation Road for decades. In May, he was slapped with a penalty charge notice for blocking a lowered kerb that, in his view, serves no purpose. The kerb sits before a driveway that has been fenced off, leading locals to dub it a ‘kerb to nowhere’.
Mr Hatch told the Mirror: “I was absolutely furious. I would have kicked anything in sight. I couldn’t believe it had happened. When I spoke to a couple of residents, they couldn’t believe it either.”
Why Did the Council Issue the Fine?
Wokingham Borough Council defended the fine, stating it was issued correctly because the spot was a vehicle access point at the time. However, the council has since admitted that the landowner no longer requires the access, and the kerb will be raised in due course.
This bureaucratic absurdity highlights a growing trend: councils enforcing petty regulations with little common sense. Mr Hatch, who has held a clean driving licence since he was 19, paid £35 to settle the matter early, but the principle rankles.
What Does the Highway Code Say?
Rule 243 of the Highway Code states: “DO NOT stop or park where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles.” The only exception is when stationary traffic forces you to do so. In Scotland, the rule extends to lowered kerbs for pedestrians and cyclists.
Totally Driving, a road safety organisation, explains that dropped kerbs are designed to aid disabled people or vehicle access. Enforcement is typically by local councils, who decide based on how severely the kerb is blocked. In this case, the kerb led to a disused driveway, raising questions about the proportionality of the fine.
Is This Common Sense or Bureaucratic Overreach?
This case is a classic example of the nanny state gone mad. Mr Hatch, a man who served his community as a firefighter, is now a local celebrity for all the wrong reasons. He said: “Several people in the village have seen me and say ‘you’re famous’. I thought ‘goodness, it’s for the wrong reason’.”
The council’s decision to issue a fine for a kerb that leads nowhere smacks of rigid rule-following without regard for fairness. It is a reminder that in modern Britain, common sense often loses out to petty bureaucracy.
FAQ: Parking on Dropped Kerbs
Can you park on a dropped kerb?
No, it is illegal to park on a dropped kerb unless you are forced to by stationary traffic. The penalty can be up to £70, depending on the council.
What should you do if you receive a fine for a dropped kerb?
You can pay the fine early to reduce it, or appeal if you believe the kerb is not a legitimate access point. Councils often review cases if the kerb is no longer in use.
Why do councils enforce dropped kerb parking rules?
To ensure access for disabled people and vehicles. However, critics argue that enforcement can be overzealous, as in Mr Hatch’s case.