Private roads

kilmaccumsey

Well-Known Forumite
I've lived on Sandon Rd for over 16 years and never knew Fairfield court was a private road ,a new sign has appeared there ,I know they don't like others parking there ,but surely they don't own the road ,what do others think
 

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
A private road simply means it's not adopted by the local authority. It normally means that it's not owned by the residents but by the developer or an association and that the residents pay a fee for upkeep.
You should call the council to ask if it really is private. If it's not, the sign is illegal. If it is, it means that, while the council can't/ won't do anything about you parking there, the residents could employ a parking firm same as if it was a private car park.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I've lived on Sandon Rd for over 16 years and never knew Fairfield court was a private road ,a new sign has appeared there ,I know they don't like others parking there ,but surely they don't own the road ,what do others think
It may have come to light as Severn Trent may be about to rip the place up.

The Street View car has been along it, which they don't usually do on private roads. You'll notice that it didn't go into Sandon Mews, which also has the 'secondary curb', which is often a sign of this situation.
 

United57

Well-Known Forumite
Council records not always up to date with road or path status in Stafford. I asked why the path in front of my house was not cleaned whilst the rest of the estate was? Informed it was private, asked why they ( council ) had erected new lighting ? Appears not to be private. ?
 

highguyuk

Well-Known Forumite
Council records not always up to date with road or path status in Stafford. I asked why the path in front of my house was not cleaned whilst the rest of the estate was? Informed it was private, asked why they ( council ) had erected new lighting ? Appears not to be private. ?

Was the footpath adjacent to an adopted carriageway? If so, it is likely the street lighting was erected to provided the correct lighting for the road.
 

cj1

Well-Known Forumite
Was the footpath adjacent to an adopted carriageway? If so, it is likely the street lighting was erected to provided the correct lighting for the road.
but if the council don't own the footpath then surely they can't erect an lamppost on it?
 

c0tt0nt0p

Well-Known Forumite
Council records not always up to date with road or path status in Stafford. I asked why the path in front of my house was not cleaned whilst the rest of the estate was? Informed it was private, asked why they ( council ) had erected new lighting ? Appears not to be private. ?

Do you know the council put the lighting in? I only say this as it's something most councils contact our (eon and sse are big players in street lighting)....

By the way the roads on the Crossings estate are yet to be adopted, sse put the lighting in...
 
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ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
It's normally a condition of adoption that the road has adequate lighting. The developer pays to put it in, the council then adopts and maintains it.
 

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
I'm not sure that private and unadopted are always the same thing, although some of my information dates to the 1960s. The family house was on an unmade road which seemed to have public right of use but not adopted by the council (far from the only one in the area, certainly no association and delelopers long since gone - stuff built in the 1920s & 30s - and upkeep consisted of locals throwing anything available into the ruts). When the council adopted and made up the road each householder had to pay for the section of road in front of their house.

The Grange estate in Penkridge had made roads, again seemingly with public right of access, but at least the pavements were not adopted. The council agreed to take over the upkeep if the householders agreed. Some did, some didn't, so now you have a patchwork of adopted and unadopted roads along the same street.
 
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