New build on unadopted road, street lighting problem

nm1985

Hello all

I am after a bit of advice on a problem that me and my partner currently have.
Just under 2 years ago we bought a new house on a new build estate. The road that we live on is unadopted, however is tarmaced has drains and street lighting in place. The street light directly outside my house has never worked and we are the last house in a cul de sac therefore at night it is pitch black. The area has its problems and due to poor light a number of houses have been broken into and a few months ago by pregnant girlfriend was car jacked and quite badly ruffed up leading to a broken hand.
We have contacted the people that built the site on numerous occasions over the two years and are being fobbed off with the guy that is dealing with it is away, he'll call you back and its getting sorted just wait a bit as its a big job.

Any help is greatly appreciated on what we can do!!

Thanks in advance
Neil

kimmee

Why not call your local authority and find out if the road will be adopted and when.

I work for a refuse and recycling company with a contract from the local authority, and we don't collect from unadopted roads - the residents have to bring their refuse/recycling up to the main road. Also we don't go onto new build sites until the building work is pretty much complete and the roads are adopted which the council does when they are happy about the completion of work.

I don't know which department of the local authority deals with this but just phone the council, explain your concerns and they should put you through to the right department.

HTH

nm1985

Thanks for the speedy response. I have tried the local authority who as soon as we give our street name/ postcode state that this is not there area of responsibility and there is nothing they can do.

Their advice is to contact the people that built/maintain the lighting

jennifer56

Can you not fit a motion sensitive security light?
Jennifer

baza52

nm1985 wrote: »

. The area has its problems and due to poor light a number of houses have been broken into and a few months ago by pregnant girlfriend
Neil

bloody hormones.
You could allways invest a few quid in a security light.

nm1985

Yeah, I have fitted a light but the area is too big for a light to cover and I dont want multiple lights all over the house.

I was hoping for some advice on if i could take a legal route and if anyone had similar experiences. This is a serious issue and dont appreciate jokes being cracked on our misfortune, so please keep them to yourselves.

Thanks

savemoney

I thought with unadopted road developers pay the council to get it adopted

http://www.devon.gov.uk/road_adoption.htm

An adopted road is one that the Council is liable to maintain. Road adoption usually concerns minor and residential roads.
The Highways Act 1980 lays down the process for a highway authority to adopt a road and empowers the Council to accept the maintenance liability for un-adopted roads. These can be either newly constructed development roads, or established roads, which have not been adopted previously. It is usually the responsibility of the owner(s) to bring the road up to standard prior to its adoption
The reason why a road may have not been adopted is that it doesn't comply with the Authority’s specification for the construction of roads for adoption, or it doesn't meet the design guide criteria for the layout of adopted roads.
If you live in a road that is not currently adopted or you are a developer constructing a new road and you wish to find out more about the possibility of it's adoption please contact the relevant Area Highway Management Office.


or http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/answers/roads/road_adoption.shtml

Freddie_Snowbits

1 Start a neighbourhood watch - This will help with the scum
2 complain to buidler, until road is adopted (could take up to 13 years!), they are responsible.

xocbc

What normally happens with new developments is:

Whilst the development is being completed, the roads, lights etc are the developer's responsibility.

When it is complete, it remains the developer's responsibility for a period of time, after which the local authority may adopt it, however this is dependent on it reaching their standard in terms of footway/road construction, street lighting, drainage etc.

So in other words, it is 100% the developer's responsibility to maintain it until such time as the Council takes it over.

Hintza

Get a sparky in to fix it?

jdturk

nm1985 wrote: »

Hello all

I am after a bit of advice on a problem that me and my partner currently have.
Just under 2 years ago we bought a new house on a new build estate. The road that we live on is unadopted, however is tarmaced has drains and street lighting in place. The street light directly outside my house has never worked and we are the last house in a cul de sac therefore at night it is pitch black. The area has its problems and due to poor light a number of houses have been broken into and a few months ago by pregnant girlfriend was car jacked and quite badly ruffed up leading to a broken hand.
We have contacted the people that built the site on numerous occasions over the two years and are being fobbed off with the guy that is dealing with it is away, he'll call you back and its getting sorted just wait a bit as its a big job.

Any help is greatly appreciated on what we can do!!

Thanks in advance
Neil

If it was that big a deal you wouldn't have let them get away with it for two years, you should have been phoning them daily if it was that important to you.

Stable, horse, bolted springs to mind!

As what to do, I would go back to who built it and ask/tell them to get the road adopted