Local road, sudden "Private Road No Access" signs appeared

[ElectricSoup]

A road local to my house, which I have been using as a pedestrian, cyclist and car driver for over 10 years now, has suddenly sprouted "Private Road - No Access" signs at both ends. These look like proper metal Local Authority jobs, on twin posts, same as any other road has. They state the name of the road in large type, then "Private Road - No Access" below it. However they don't bear the Local Authority name or crest like other roads in the town. I've been using the road almost daily for over 10 years, and so do many other people in the neighbourhood. There are no gates or barriers of any kind at either end.

Given that it's never had any such signs before, is it not now a "right of way", as it has bene used for so long without restriction? Do any legal types know where I stand regarding use of this road now?

[Kuji]

Can you put a google view up?.

[ElectricSoup]

Wouldn't do much good, the sign's gone up a few weeks back and the google images are from 2012, so the sign isn't on them. I'll see if I can get a photo tonight.

[Kuji]

I was going to suggest looking at an OS map in your local newsagent, but it doesn't look like they perform anything other than a visual view of the road signs:

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/about/governance/...

[ElectricSoup]

Good thinking, shame it's not authoritative.

But of course, lightbulb moment, I'm going to need to write to my local council. I think this sign may have been erected incorrectly. But I am no expert.

The road is an unmade single track lane, I've always assumed it to be unadopted, but not "private". There has always been a road name sign at one end, with nothing other than the road's name on it. Here's one end of the road in question, you have to zoom in to see the old road name sign in the hedge. Notice, no private road signs or other restrictions:

https://goo.gl/maps/134otxpbzo2Zmt4J6

Edited by ElectricSoup on Thursday 29th August 15:00

[Type R Tom]

Put a streetview up anyway, it can be fairly easy to tell from the gully, kerbs, paving etc. if it's private or not.

[Mammasaid]

Check your local definitive ROW maps, it should tell you what the status of the road is.

https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Definitive-map...

[Sheepshanks]

ElectricSoup said:

But of course, lightbulb moment, I'm going to need to write to my local council. I think this sign may have been erected incorrectly. But I am no expert.

I can't imagine a council would put up "private road" signs. Of course it may have been bought from the same place they get theirs from so that it looks the same in order to give it more authority.

[ElectricSoup]

Sheepshanks said:

ElectricSoup said:

But of course, lightbulb moment, I'm going to need to write to my local council. I think this sign may have been erected incorrectly. But I am no expert.

I can't imagine a council would put up "private road" signs. Of course it may have been bought from the same place they get theirs from so that it looks the same in order to give it more authority.

This is what I suspect. But I don't think it's a private road, and even if it is it has never been signed as such, and has been used for, I expect, hundreds of years, which conveys a right of way.

[ElectricSoup]

Type R Tom said:

Put a streetview up anyway, it can be fairly easy to tell from the gully, kerbs, paving etc. if it's private or not.

Link above.

You're going to be jolly disappointed if you're a gully, kerb or paving enthusiast!

[ElectricSoup]

Mammasaid said:

Check your local definitive ROW maps, it should tell you what the status of the road is.

https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Definitive-map...

Neither Reading nor Berkshire are listed. And what the hell is Borsetshire?

[donkmeister]

Sheepshanks said:

ElectricSoup said:

But of course, lightbulb moment, I'm going to need to write to my local council. I think this sign may have been erected incorrectly. But I am no expert.

I can't imagine a council would put up "private road" signs. Of course it may have been bought from the same place they get theirs from so that it looks the same in order to give it more authority.

There's a road, local to me, where a resident (or residents) put up private road signs despite it being an adopted public road.
Used to give me great pleasure to drive down there after an absolute arse harangued my partner for driving on *his* road.
When the council did their next round of maintenance the signs disappeared and never reappeared.

[Mammasaid]

ElectricSoup said:

Mammasaid said:

Check your local definitive ROW maps, it should tell you what the status of the road is.

https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Definitive-map...

Neither Reading nor Berkshire are listed. And what the hell is Borsetshire?

Must be a dead link for West Berkshire, it's below;

https://info.westberks.gov.uk/article/28884

And Borsetshire? Dum da dum, da dum da dum, dum da dum, da dum dum....

Click link and look in top left

[Fittster]

ElectricSoup said:

Mammasaid said:

Check your local definitive ROW maps, it should tell you what the status of the road is.

https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Definitive-map...

Neither Reading nor Berkshire are listed. And what the hell is Borsetshire?

Give up any conception you have about being middle class.

Tum te tum te tum

[ElectricSoup]

Mammasaid said:

Must be a dead link for West Berkshire, it's below;

https://info.westberks.gov.uk/article/28884

And Borsetshire? Dum da dum, da dum da dum, dum da dum, da dum dum....

Click link and look in top left

Thanks, but I'm in Reading, not West Berkshire. There's no link for Reading Borough. I had a ferret in the Oxfordshire link as my bit of Reading used to be in Oxfordshire, but all the current Reading area was greyed out. So I suppose our People's Republic Council aren't too keen on the People knowing anything. Berkshire was abolished about 20 years ago in favour of unitary Councils.

Ah, The Archers is it? Jolly good. Never listened to anything more than the theme tune as I lunge for the off switch...

[ElectricSoup]

Fittster said:

ElectricSoup said:

Mammasaid said:

Check your local definitive ROW maps, it should tell you what the status of the road is.

https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Definitive-map...

Neither Reading nor Berkshire are listed. And what the hell is Borsetshire?

Give up any conception you have about being middle class.

Tum te tum te tum

I may have elevated, through my own academic and subsequent professional endeavours, my family's lot such that my children may be considered middle class, but as the son of a boy expelled from school at 15, and who subsequently lived life as an unskilled factory worker, and having spent my first years living in a caravan with no power or running water, I'll always be working class. I am under no illusions.

[Swervin_Mervin]

ElectricSoup said:

Thanks, but I'm in Reading, not West Berkshire. There's no link for Reading Borough. I had a ferret in the Oxfordshire link as my bit of Reading used to be in Oxfordshire, but all the current Reading area was greyed out. So I suppose our People's Republic Council aren't too keen on the People knowing anything. Berkshire was abolished about 20 years ago in favour of unitary Councils.

Ah, The Archers is it? Jolly good. Never listened to anything more than the theme tune as I lunge for the off switch...

Reading is a Unitary Authority so responsible for their own PROWs and Highways. I've just had a quick look though and it seems there's nothing on their site. You'd have to make an enquiry on that basis, either as to the status of the road in question, or make an appointment to go and view the Definitive Map

If it's been demonstrably open to the public for a very long time then it sounds like someone is trying to fence it off to fend off any claims. Certainly looks like it should be public highway, but I could well imagine it not being adopted. ETA - here's an FOI request from 2014, and if you look in the list of private roads it seems to be listed. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/highways_ma...

As an aside, there's nothing wrong with them identifying a route as private - but they can't block it off if it's public highway. There's one near here:

https://goo.gl/maps/hF9u6jnWxdQGztaN6

Edited by Swervin_Mervin on Thursday 29th August 16:04

Edited by Swervin_Mervin on Thursday 29th August 16:05

[ElectricSoup]

Thanks Mervin. Awesome reply, however I'm still confused. You say your local example, Hawthorn Park, is a private road but also public highway? Does that mean the No Access sign is wrong?

Here's a photo of the sign I just took. If the road has been used by the public, unencumbered for decades, surely it can't be marked No Access?

[pidsy]

There’s a good chance they were put up by the residents to try and stop through traffic.
Loads of small roads with huge houses round here have done the same recently - it has no legal standing but seems to make the people on those roads feel a bit better about themselves.

One road has taken it a step further and the residents have clubbed together and hired a security man to sit in a van with a dog at the entrance to the road. It is coned off until you drive in.
He gets out of van, moves cones
You drive through.

He never says anything, no one asks why you’re driving in there, there’s no ANPR - just him.

And it’s only ever him so he either lives in his van or does some very long shifts.

[SCEtoAUX]

Daily Mail readers. End of thread.