According to a recent poll of 2,000 motorists some 44% of motorists believe they “own” the nearest parking space on the road to their home and 18% have felt distressed when a stranger parked in front of their property. In reality it is possible that it is not actually legal at all to park on the highway – Surrey County Council’s website says that “In common law, drivers have the right to pass and re-pass along the road. There is no legal right to park on a road, verge or footway“. ‘Parp part’ went Mr Toad.
‘Parp parp’
Pedestrian Liberation 
I was taught that, technically speaking, any vehicle parked on a road is an obstruction to the highway and can be dealt with as such. The only legal places to park on the highways are those that have been designated as parking places by the appropriate authorities, I.E. marked parking bays etc.
That is pretty much what the 1926 AA Guide says but case law since then makes obstruction almost completely useless for protecting pedestrians.
This is what gets me, I had to go to court as a traffic warden to defend tickets I had issued and I never had one thrown out. I have issued tickets for obstruction, I have towed vehicles away for obstruction, and no magistrate or judge ever said I was wrong to have done so. So why are these laws not being upheld in the same way now, is everyone so in thrall to the motor vehicle that we no longer consider the rights/wrongs of what motorists do? It certainly does seem that way.
Oh God – I used to live in one of those streets. Certain long term residents who thought they owned the road told anybody new who moved in ‘dont worry, if anyone has visitors, we’ll all shuffle up a bit’.
What I found out within a week was that offspring & visitors of the ‘certain’ would park outside my house relentlessly, but should I return the compliment…well you can guess!
The front garden & wall was in need of attention so I opened it up into a driveway, built new pillars either side & filled the sides with plantpots – really smart & of course a ‘legal’ parking space.
One of the ‘certain’ residents complimented it & also mentioned that ‘of course if they had visitors…’
“No you can’t – I’ve checked with the Police…have a nice day now!”
(another neighbour – a Police Officer who I was pally with was only happy to back me up when they discretely asked him the day after LOL)