My firm has acquired a site, a derelict pub in a ropey area of Bristol. The car park is open and is being used by the locals as off street parking. I have absolutely no problem with this, in a funny sort of way, they're looking after the site for me. If i tried to fence it off, i'd be forever replacing fencing....
However, sooner or later the cars are going to get in the way of JCB's and piling rigs and i'll need them moved.
As the people parking are effectively my neighbours and i need to get along with them while we're building, i don't want to rub them up the wrong way. So I need to devise a "clearance plan" and would appreciate some pointers and views from the BR before i put it into practice.
1 - leave leaflets on cars notifying keepers politely that works will be starting on (Date A) and can you not park here after (date B) thank you very much, plus a huge board on site.
Date B will be deliberately early.
2 - As Date B passes, cars still parked will get a leaflet along the lines of "please move your car, XYZ clampers start next week". Appropriate XYZ clamping signs go up.
3 - if there are still cars there, get the clampers (or buy our own clamp) and get clamping!
4 - last resort - don't know? if someone leaves a car with a clamp attached, i run out of ideas. Am i allowed to remove the vehicle? Can i trace owner legitimately?
Stages 1-3 seem ok, but stage 4 needs a bit of work. I could report any leftover cars as abandoned to the council, but they may not be interested as it's private land.
All views appreciated, especially from the viewpoint of someone who is going to have to move their car.
Thanks in advance
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I wouldn't bother with clamps unless you have to.
Just put notes behind wipers from a building company name (you can make up) and say please remove car as we cannot be held responsible for any damage, and see if you can restrict the site entrance width so that they can only just get in and out, and make it look like things are starting to happen, and I'm sure they'll soon stop.
You could also get some large DANGER DEMOLITION! signs made on platic by a local sign company and put them up.
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If it's to be a building site, or even just a demolition site, it has to be secured to keep out the public, to prevent unauthorised access of any kind. So, unless I misunderstand, secure 2m high fencing and gating is required. Warning of the impending job would be sensible. Thereafter, JCB's are very versatile for shifting unwanted objects:)
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your plan is sound to point 2
At point three, you will have a good idea of what cars move in and out and what cars are abandoned. YOu have the grounds to get the registred details of the owners from the DVLA of all cars that are still using it. Write to them. 14 days later remove them.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Nortones is right, I can't remember seeing a building site in recent years which DOESN'T have metal fencing or wooden marine play all the way round festooned with every safety sign going and notice to parents etc...
So I assume you have to do this by law, so will be doing.
I'm sure as soon as this goes up, people will move, I know I would, last thing I'd want is my car on a building/demolition site!
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The common trick seems to be to drop a load of hard core along the perimeter of the site to form a low barrier that you can't drive over.
Get a contractor to do this at dawn one morning. If there are cars left overnight when you do it, leave a gap for them to leave, they will, especially if you leave a note under the windscreen saying the gap will be blocked off at x.00 hours on xdate.
You could leave a gap and plant a couple of posts in concrete with a padlocked chain across for your own use.
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Be very sure to get it fenced off quickly as depending on what area of Bristol you might find it gets occupied rather quickly by caravans and transits if you get my drift, this really depends on where in Bristol you are, ie St Pauls area no problem but Bedminster you might as well invite them on to the land if you clear it and dont secure it. ...cheers...Keo.
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Thanks for all the responses.
the site's in Oldmarket / Easton, keo, but i take your point.
Maybe I'm confusing people with terminlogy. It will be a demolition and construction site at a future time. At the moment it's simply a boarded up pub with outline planning permission. I have to get detailed planning, finalise the design and get some contractors teed up. Then hoarding is applicable.
My favourite option is to post leaflets (nicey nicey) and then put the hoarding up and lock any leftover cars in, with a phone number of someone will let them out. If i'm still left with a car after that, I can sort it out via DVLA. Or a forklift.
Thanks, and I'll be glad to hear (read) more comments
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Oldmarket / Easton tends to be populated by Afro-Caribeans at one end turning Asian as you go through no problems with travellers but is also blighted with prostitution and strangely a lot of gay clubs as a result it is a heavily policed area with more action promised to clean up the prostitution problem so not as bad as it looks.. if you know what i mean. Possibly a good long term investment with the way development is going around Broadmead which is not too far away, you may find many of the parked cars are office staff who only park during the day ...cheers...Keo
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Leaflet those known to use as suggested.
Advisory board on site.
Speak to LA about the need for or not hoardings under Section 172 Highways Act 1980.
Going into the field of clamping will require a Licence.
dvd
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What's the score on public liability insurance here? Presumeably the site needs to be safe (I'm thinking of the derelict building) but also if the OP is seen to be allowing parking on site then he might have certain legal responsibilities.
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I was thinking on similar lines. I believe as owner of the land you have occupiers liability. If you are knowingly allowing it to be used as a public car park, you are leaving yourself open. At some point in the future you will have to erect fencing and the three metre high wooden variety not only keeps people out, it stops prying eyes.
Chris M
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I'm in the process of getting Public Liability for the site. Bit tardy i know but better late than never. If sorted Monday, we've been out of cover for just over a week. AFAIK the previous owner hadn't insured it at all for nearly two years. Scary eh?
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Buy an old banger and park it on the carpark. Arrange for something heavy to be dropped on said banger (a large pile of the fencing to be used would look good) and watch the rest of the cars parked there dissapear in front of your eyes. ;-)
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We bought a derelict site (Aberystwyth, not Bristol) that had exactly this problem. Public parking, unauthorised storage containers placed by local stores, rough sleepers, bonfires, flytipping, drug users, etc.
As we gradually took posession the problems seemed to melt away.
A solicitor's letter got the containers removed.
A metal fence stopped the car parking.
When the contractors arrived and started bulldozing the site, the rough sleepers all gave up and went somewhere else.
We didn't bother with leaflets, just a few signs on the fencing announcing what was going on, and warning of the dangers of unauthorised entry.
Public liability insurance is absolutely vital - without it you have a potential liability of millions if someone has an accident.
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Praise to you for allowing people to use it until the last moment.Some land near here was used as an impromtu car park,when someone else took it over it was dug up and piles of earth used to block access.It has been a useless eyesore for months now.
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Thats possibly to deter the "travellers" who move in and are hard to remove legally, in the time required.
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