Residential road privatisation

[Sara_80]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum and looking for some advice.

Our residential street (in the UK) is used as a rat-run in the mornings by people avoiding a nearby busy road. Some people drive at excessive speed, some being clocked doing over 40mph with a handheld spedometer. As someone with children who walk to school along our road, it's particularly concerning.

I've spent the past 6 months contacting and chasing our local council, Highways department and the police, but nothing is changing. As a street, we're keen to explore privatisation so we can erect gates at the entrance to the street, but we're unsure how to go about it.

Any advice gratefully received, thanks all

[echat11]

Hi SARA_80

Welcome to LB

As an alternative, would 'speed bumps' help?

Obviously, see if the Council can help with those.

I don't think you'll be allowed to erect gates as you would need the local Council's authority.

It would be considered an obstruction under the Highways Act 1980.

[PallasAthena]

I doubt there is any right for you to buy back the road so you would need the council to voluntarily agree to sell it to you. I would be surprised if they would agree to it. If there is a right I can't any reference to it. All the legislation I've seen is about councils adopting private roads.

Has anyone asked the council if they are willing to sell it back to you?

When you say "as a street, we're keen to explore privatisation ..." do you mean (almost) everybody is willing in principle to fork out cash to buy it back and then take on the open-ended liability for maintaining it? Sledge hammers and nuts come to mind.

[des8]

Stopping up a public highway; https://www.gov.uk/government/public...ping-up-orders

and the relevant law: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga...on-of-highways

and "helpful" info: https://www.gov.uk/government/public...-highways/stop

Good luck!

[Sara_80]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I'll keep chasing the council - the only response from them so far is because there hasn't actually been an accident on the street yet, they're unlikely to take any action. Which seems slightly ridiculous to me. I always feel there's greater strength in numbers, so perhaps as neighbours we need to get together and complain to them as a group? It must be a common issue around the country, I wonder how other people have dealt with it - I'm sure they don't all end up privatising (a measure which sounds very costly from what I can gather!)

[islandgirl]

Get your local councillor involved. I have seen rat run streets blocked with flower containers by councils - they do the job and look nice!

[PallasAthena]

I'm not sure that stopping up of highways law would help you. It appears to require you to show that either your road is "unnecessary" or that it will be diverted. But it is surely still 'necessary' for residents to access their houses?

[des8]

Even privately owned roads can be highways, so just becoming owners of the road will not give the residents the right to erect gates and block access to non owners.

It is actually quite possible that the land on which the road is built is already owned by the residents, but has become "dedicated" as a highway and "adopted" by the local authority.

The residents need to do a lot more investigation