What Legal Right Do I Have To Access My Garden Gate?

[Allimacca]

The gate at the bottom of my garden opens to a narrow residential road. Cars are invariably parked so close to the fence that it is impossible to get in or out through the gate unless we physically climb over the car.
Aside from it being common decency to leave access, where do we stand legally?

[Allimacca]

When you open the gate it goes straight onto the road (small, dead end, residential road). The pavement is on the other side so the cars park along the fences that are at the end of the back gardens for the houses in my road. Anyone in my road (on the same side of the road as us) who has a gate in the fence at the bottom of their garden will be affected.

[hc4361]

This sort of thing can easily come back and bite you on the bum. If the people who park on the side of the road of your gate can no longer do so because of your pedestrian access rights they may very well park on the road to the front of your house.
Whilst it is illegal to park across a dropped kerb your life can still be made difficult by people parking very close to, or opposite, it.

[boxtops]

why don't you speak to all the other affected neighbours, too, then, and make a block approach to the Highways people to get DYLs down the non-pavement side? Numbers of people are more effective than one.

[hc4361]

Double and single yellow lines are to ensure the free flow of traffic which is not appropriate here. Doubtful the council would grant the request because their wardens would have to enforce them and in any case a person with a blue badge would be able to park for up to three hours.