A pensioner has been left unable to park on his own driveway after a Labour-led council banned him from doing so. Bob Howes, 73, has been parking his car for 20 years in his home in Southampton, Hampshire, yet he recently received a letter informing him to stop. 

Southampton City Council said the decision had been made due to the driveway not having a dropped kerb. Determined to continue parking in his spot, Mr Howes spent £160 on an application to have the kerb installed. This would cost him £3,000, an amount he was willing to pay, yet was told no. As a result, the pensioner has to pay £30-a-year for a permit to park on the other side of the road, which he describes as “busy”. 

Mr Howes spoke of his “embarrassment” at not being able to park in his drive way. He told the Southern Daily Echo: “We have off-road parking and we’ve had to explain to neighbours why we’re no longer parking there”.

The 73-year-old has lived in the house with his wife Dawn since 1984, having “parked on the drive for at least 20 years”.

However, motorists can be slapped with a fine if they park across a pavement or verge without a dropped edge. Penalties differ across councils, yet they can be as high as £1,000. 

Mr Howe’s application was rejected due to the 4.3-metre space being just below the required 4.8 metres, even though the pensioner’s Hyundai i10 is only 3.6 metres long.

He said he was “willing to pay to have the work done,” adding that “it would take decades before they (the council) receive £3,000” at the rate of £30-a-year.

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.”