Off road parking query

[xplosiv]

Hi all,

I've just viewed a house that I'm thinking of purchasing and have a query I hope someone might be able to answer.

There's a lane that runs along the side of the house and parallel past the back garden. On the opposite side of the lane there's a row of garages for the houses opposite, and further down the lane there's various car ports and other garages.

My question is, would there be any issue if i removed part of the fencing at the end of the garden and created a space on which to park a car? At a glance it seems a very straightforward thing to do and, as I say, there are many houses that use the lane for parking access already. I thought putting some chippings/stones at the end of the garden would do the trick, and it'd certainly not be affecting access etc for the other properties. Also, as no actual building work or dropped curb is required, am I right in thinking no planning application would be necessary?

If I decide to make an offer on the house I just don't want to know that my plan isn't going to result in a letter from the council landing on the doormat!

Thanks in advance!

Lee

 

[^woody^]

If you instruct a proper survey, the survey can investigate and answer that specific question.

Otherwise it's just guessing.

 

[Tigercubrider]

So any of the houses on your side of the lane have access?
It guarantees nothing but may give a clue

 

[bernardgreen]

When the survey is done check the boundary of the property you are buying is the same as the boundary of the lane. It is not unknown for there to be a narrow strip of land between gardens and the public highway ( the lane in your case ). This strip is still owned by the person who sold the land for housing to be built and is used as a ransom strip.

Once a houses have built garages accesed from the lane the owner of the strip turns up and makes a lot of money selling the strips to the house owners ( or leases to cross it ).

A single premium indemnity policy normal will cover the costs should the ransom be called in.

 

[amfisted]

You wouldn't need any official approval, unless the hardstanding or drive accessed directly onto a main road, and it doesn't sound as if the lane would identify as such.

The only other question is whether vehicular access to your hardstanding would be obstructed by others' use of the lane, which is unlikely to become apparent until and unless you begin to use it.

 

[xplosiv]

Thanks for the replies.

There are car ports further up the lane on the same side.

So it seems the only way to know whether adding a parking space is by carrying out a survey? I was hoping to have a idea before making an offer and incurring any costs

 

[xplosiv]

You wouldn't need any official approval, unless the hardstanding or drive accessed directly onto a main road, and it doesn't sound as if the lane would identify as such.

The only other question is whether vehicular access to your hardstanding would be obstructed by others' use of the lane, which is unlikely to become apparent until and unless you begin to use it.

I sent my last message before reading yours. Your reply is what I was hoping to hear sinse I can't see that access would be obstructed by anyone else's use of the lane

 

[bernardgreen]

You need permission to drive over land belong to someone else.

If the lane is adopted by the local council as public highway and they give permission to access it from your property and you can access the highway without crossing land owned by someone else then there will be no problem.