'Buying' an alleyway????

[Fatboy]

Start a campaign to get it closed/cctved etc, then offer to buy it off them and they'll be delighted to get shot of it

[Fatboy]

Gazboy said:

Fatboy said: Start a campaign to get it closed/cctved etc, then offer to buy it off them and they'll be delighted to get shot of it Just having the lights working would be deemed 'a luxury'! Lol.

It'd be funny if it wasn't true

Seriously though, I reckon you might have trouble blocking off a right of way, IIRC there's some stupid rule about keeping rights of way open? Doubtless Rude Boy or another property lawyer will be along to help on monday

[Fatboy]

Perhaps look at some property ownership maps, and see if you could possibly claim the land belongs to the 3 houses?

[Muncher]

First step, as you say write to the council and ask, you have nothing to lose. If they aren't prepared to sell at all, for whatever reason, there is nothing you can do.

[Fatboy]

Gazboy said:

Fatboy said: Perhaps look at some property ownership maps, and see if you could possibly claim the land belongs to the 3 houses? Mmmmm, all but one house were built in 1895-1901 (inc my own and surrounding houses), the alley is shown in the deeds of 1985 for my house... Just sent WDC a mail...

See if there's an earlier document that might show different set of boundaries?

[Muncher]

www.landregisteronline.gov.uk/

Anyone is allowed to get a copy of the plans, the deeds will show if there any easements etc affecting the land. How recently did you buy the property as the purchasing solicitor should be able to tell you if you own the alleyway and any rights affecting it.

[Fatboy]

Gazboy said:

All deeds are held by the bank iirc- do they let Joe Bloke nose though them?

Not sure, but ISTR that the Land Registry will hold all/older sets of deeds that you can examine for a nominal fee?

[Balmoral Green]

Just tell the council that you are slapping a compulsory purchase order on it and that you will be paying them market value plus 15%.

[randlemarcus]

If you cant buy it, consider getting it gated instead.
Same effect, and you'll be able to get grants for it.

Get in touch with your local Neighbourhood Watch, and ask them about local gating schemes. We've just had our back alley done, and while it was a pain in the ass getting signatures from over 100 properties, we now have 12 foot high spikey gates, and a distinct lack of scum on mopeds drinking whitelightning and smoking tabs.
The residents paid half, and we got the "area" neighborhoood watch lot to pay the other half.

Community spirit, and I've got a nice quiet place to work on the 944, and have watched an MX5 and a VX220 come out of the woodwork.

[JonRB]

Nothing to stop you erecting your own CCTV and security lights as a civic duty kinda thing. That would make it less apealing to scotes, perhaps.

[parrot of doom]

Put a locking gate on it, and wait for them to complain. If they don't IIRC after 7 years its yours?

[MikeyT]

Gazboy said:

scrotes on 'peds escape down it

Gazboy said:

the alleyway runs behind 3 houses- I honestly do not know why it's there.

It can't be a dead end then as the scrotes use it to escape so it's there just cos it's always been there as far as you know.

Is it possible to monitor just how much use it gets? This may work in your favour if you can say to the council that only xx people use it and the scrotes use it etc.

You can't just put a gate on the thing and I think it would cost quite a bit to buy - what's the length and width?

[Twincam16]

You might be best off (and I know this sounds a bit Liberal Democrat) getting a group together of all the people whose houses are remotely near this alleyway. It strikes me that it was built in the Victorian era for the purpose of filling with fog, urchins, Ripper victims and tuberculosis, all of which we can do without now, so if everyone who has to live next to it wants to do the same thing with it, I can't see the council having much objection to you all dividing the cost between you for safety's sake if anything. A problem shared is a problem halved and all that...

[telecat]

Sounds like a "shared" access. The 6ft bit having the old outside toilet block on it at some stage. Hence it should be yours and the other residents to claim.