Neighbour blocking our access

[Miss Heli]

We have just discovered that our neighbour is having work done on her house which will involve scaffolding being detected in the driveway to our house.
The drive narrow and we will not be able to drive to our property/garage for a month whilst the works are completed.
Is she within her rights to block our right of way?

[des8]

Re: Neighbour blocking our access

Hi and welcome.

Is this your driveway alone, or is it a shared driveway, or is it their driveway over which you have right of access?

Generally speaking if a neighbour needs access to your land for maintenance purposes, it is sorted out by a chat over the fence and a cuppa.
However if things are beyond this stage they could possibly obtain an access order from a court under the Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992

Care to tell us in more detail?

[Miss Heli]

Re: Neighbour blocking our access

It is a shared driveway and the only way we can access our property.
It is our holiday home and our neighbour just dropped me a text last night to let me know work would be starting in the next couple of weeks and that the scaffolding would be in place for approx a month.
This was the first we knew about the works.
The house is let to holiday makers when we are not using it and advertised as having private parking and easy access.
If I tell guests already booked that will have to park in the village car park I imagine they may well cancel and we could loose over £2000 in bookings over the 4weeks.

Thanks in advance for any advice

[wales01man]

Re: Neighbour blocking our access

If its a shared drive is it blocking the neighbours access when your holiday letters are parked there?

[Miss Heli]

Re: Neighbour blocking our access

No. We just have to drive along the side of their house to get to our property. We have private parking and a garage on our land

[wales01man]

Re: Neighbour blocking our access

A scaffold would only be about 4foot 1.2 metres from there wall would a car get past that?

[Miss Heli]

Re: Neighbour blocking our access

Unfortunately not. The drive is really narrow and any encroachment will block access.
If we could squeeze by the scaffold we wouldn't be worried by the works

[wales01man]

Re: Neighbour blocking our access

You will need to talk to them or get into a legal argument decision is yours im afraid this could end up a long running argument or they might just out scaffold up then you have a problem

[Ripped-Off]

Re: Neighbour blocking our access

Why can't the scaffold be erected to bridge over the drive so that you can drive under it? Alternatively, is a scaffold really necessary; can the work be done from a scissor lift or a cherry picker?