The Leat Close Management Association Limited are responsible for the five Private Residents Car Parks/Garage Courts in the estate. This includes the garage exteriors, door painting, tarmacing and the parking lines. We have followed UK guidelines with regards to the size of parking spaces to enable as many residents the opportunity to park. Please try to park within the lines and be considerate to your fellow residents. Do not block access to garages.
Private Residents Car Parks – For Residents Use Only
The car parks are for residents parking only and have been clearly marked with signs stating this.
Please ask any visitors you may have to use street parking as, there are limited spaces available in the car parks, and they are for LCMA residents only.
If a non-resident is using the car park please notify the LCMA by emailing help@leatclose.org.uk (with registration plate, colour, make and model) and we can put a polite notice on the vehicle making them aware that it is a managed private car park for residents use only.
Please park within the lines otherwise you are depriving another resident from parking there.
Street Parking
With the overall number of residents’ cars, combined with commuters and visitors (general visitors, care workers, the school-run mums, and even people fishing on the river Stort), parking at times can be a bit an issue in Leat Close. We don’t have any jurisdiction over the public highway, but we do encourage you to be courteous and considerate when parking, to enable as many residents a space as possible.
No Parking On The Grass
Part of the LCMA’s responsibility is to manage the grass areas, and we spend a portion of our budget on their upkeep. Therefore, we DO NOT allow parking on the grass at any time! You will be billed for any damages incurred. In extreme cases we have had to install wooden bollards to prevent repeat offending. This is not a cost effective way of dealing with the issue, it spoils the look of the area and it will also add a substantial cost to the maintenance fee which residents pay yearly.
No Parking In The Turning Bay – Advisory
The turning bay is clearly marked with “No Parking” signs for good reason. This is to allow larger vehicles, HGV’s, Bin Lorries, Fire Engines etc. the ability to turn around. The LCMA have no jurisdiction over this but we can offer that advice that all residents park courteously in the close and try to use available spaces before resorting to using the turning area.
It is important to note that if your vehicle is hit by another vehicle whilst parked in a no parking area, then you could actually be held part liable, as your vehicle may have been partial cause of the collision. This would be a stronger case especially at night when a turning vehicle may not see your vehicle parked and certainly would not expect it to be in a no parking area.
Turning Area Clarification from East Herts Council
After contacting the police about this issue, they informed us that this is was a matter for the local council to enforce. We contacted Sawbridgeworth Council about this and they forwarded us to East Herts Council who do road enforcement. Their response was that as the lines are white lines then the “no parking in turning area” is only an advisory warning. They are therefore unable to enforce this. They did suggest that we contact the local council again and request yellow line parking restrictions for the turning bay. They did say this can be a lengthy process and that it will all be based on the councils budget plans to whether it would be successful. To request yellow lines and parking restrictions then you will need to contact Sawbridgeworth Town Council by emailing info@sawbridgeworth-tc.gov.uk or call them on 01279 724537.
Illegally Parked Vehicles
If you see an illegally parked vehicle, you can report it directly to the Hertfordshire Police using 101 (non-emergency line) or report it online (https://www.herts.police.uk/Report/Report). We have been advised by the local constabulary that they will happily come and ticket any offending vehicles.
Contact Us
To contact us with any issues you have regarding parking, please use the form below: (Please add help@leatclose.org.uk to your email address book otherwise our reply may not get back to you.)
Alternatively email us at: help@leatclose.org.uk