Access through back of terrace house

francescamr

Hi we are living in a terrace house that has an access way at the back of our house. We want to put an extension onto the back of our house but the access way is there. Does anyone know if we can get rid of this access way to put an extension? We are in a block of 4 houses with an alley way on each side and we are a middle house. So the other houses can still access the back of their properties through the alleyways if we were to block ours off.

DOH_a

From a Planning point of view, there should be no issue. It would be an idea to check if there is anything within the title register or existing covenants/conditions that stipulate retaining a rear access.

TELLIT01

If the occupants of the adjoining properties have right of way you may have problems.

Davesnave

As above, the planners won't care about the RoW, but if it's a legally valid route for your neighbours to access their properties, they will need to be consulted and their agreement to divert secured, in writing, with deeds amended, before you start. You pay for that.

While they might say, "Fine with us, go ahead," you cannot be sure people they sell to would be so generous, or that someone purchasing your house in  future wouldn't find a lack of formal permission a deal-breaker.

In short,you cannot move or extinguish a RoW without formal permission from those affected. Without that, you will hold up a future sale. Ask the people we purchased from!

carefullycautious

Will you still be able to get out of the rear in case of a fire? What would happen if your neighbours needed to access the ROW past your property in case of fire?

TELLIT01

Moving a RoW is not necessarily a simple matter.  A neighbour of a cousin of mine had a right of way for 2 properties running directly across outside their kitchen window and wanted to move it.  They didn't help themselves by trying to get the RoW move to the end of the garden, which was about 100 feet long!  One neighbour simple refused to agree to any change so the neighbour had to live with it as it was.