It is now illegal to park in front of a dropped curb whether there is a car on the drive or not, unless you have permission of the house owner.
Traffic Management Act 2004 has been updated. Chapter 18 part 6
86Prohibition of parking at dropped footways etc. E+W.(1)In a special enforcement area a vehicle must not be parked on the carriageway adjacent to a footway, cycle track or verge where—.
(a)the footway, cycle track or verge has been lowered to meet the level of the carriageway for the purpose of—.
(i)assisting pedestrians crossing the carriageway,.
(ii)assisting cyclists entering or leaving the carriageway, or.
(iii)assisting vehicles entering or leaving the carriageway across the footway, cycle track or verge; or.
(b)the carriageway has, for a purpose within paragraph (a)(i) to (iii), been raised to meet the level of the footway, cycle track or verge..
This is subject to the following exceptions.
(2)The first exception is where the vehicle is parked wholly within a designated parking place or any other part of the carriageway where parking is specifically authorised..
A “designated parking place” means a parking place designated by order under section 6, 9, 32(1)(b) or 45 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (c. 27).
(3)The second exception is where the vehicle is parked outside residential premises by or with the consent (but not consent given for reward) of the occupier of the premises..
This exception does not apply in the case of a shared driveway.
(4)The third exception is where the vehicle is being used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes..
(5)The fourth exception is where—.
(a)the vehicle is being used for the purposes of delivering goods to, or collecting goods from, any premises, or is being loaded from or unloaded to any premises,.
(b)the delivery, collection, loading or unloading cannot reasonably be carri