Is it possible to build a driveway with these electrical/telephone boxes in front of the property?

user1168934

Hi all

I am very interested in a property. Parking is an issue in this particular area. There is enough space in front of the property to park a car side ways (as might be able to see in the neigbouring property in the picture). The only thing bothering me is that there these two green (electrical or telephone?) junction boxes in front of the property. On one side of the box there is enough space for a car's width. Would it be possible to build a driveway on this property and get the curb dropped by the council? How do I go about doing this (never done anything like this before)

Would it be possible to get these boxes moved somewhere else?

Come reselling time do you think it will be problematic to sell this property?

I have to decide by tomorrow if I want to make an offer. I would really appreciate some help please.

davidmcn

Those both look like telecoms boxes. I doubt you can insist on them being moved, and even if you could, you'd be paying the costs, which I expect could be considerable (that looks like a BT inspection chamber in front of the left hand box, and I doubt they'd want that under a driveway either).

And the council may have other reasons for not wanting the kerb being dropped there anyway.

AdrianC

"There's enough space to park a car sideways" - many local authorities insist on a minimum depth of frontage to grant drop-kerb permission.

Just because neighbours have done it in the past doesn't mean you'll get the go-ahead now.

user1168934

Thanks folks for your replies. So basically what I am hearing is that I should assume for now that curb cannot be dropped on this property and decide if I want to make an offer? right?

So how do I find out if the council will allow it? and how long will it take to find out?

Is there any way I can share the dropped kerb with the neighbours like some legal contract with them or something - estate agent mentioned this possibility when showing us around but he was being so careful with his words that it made me doubt that this can be done.

Any other alternatives? I am (desperately) trying to have some way to be able to park on this property. I love the property but I do not fancy hunting for a space on street parking every day for the next 10-15 years of my life.

theartfullodger

Possible to build a driveway but not use it with those cabinets in the way, except for a motorbike.

bouicca21

The preliminaries for getting a dropped kerb involve paying the council to inspect the site and decide whether or not it is suitable.  Look on their website for the cost plus an outline of the requirements.  I think all councils now require a minimum distance from house to the property boundary and I doubt whether ‘enough room to park a car sideways’ will be deemed sufficient.  

davidmcn

user1168934 said:

Is there any way I can share the dropped kerb with the neighbours like some legal contract with them or something

Yes, that might be possible, but even if they agree in principle there's a fair bit of legal work involved (and if they have a mortgage it would also require the consent of their lender), and you'd be picking up the bill for everybody's costs. And I would forget about making it a condition of your purchase as it would just complicate matters unduly.

user1168934

Two houses down there is a tree in the front so "somehow" they are sharing the dropped kerb with their adjacent house - I don't know whether it is a legal contract or they just started doing it at some point. But I get the message, assume no driveway is possible.

Very helpful replies, as always. Thanks very much folks.

greatcrested

user1168934 said:

Two houses down there is a tree in the front so "somehow" they are sharing the dropped kerb with their adjacent house - I don't know whether it is a legal contract or they just started doing it at some point. But I get the message, assume no driveway is possible.

Very helpful replies, as always. Thanks very much folks.

Well if the neighbours are willing to grant you a ROW across their land, using their dropped curb, toaccess your front garden that might be an option.

Not sure how that sits with the council.

The neighbours will have council consent to drive over the council land (pavement) as part of their dropped curb arrangement, but that would probably not extend to you. Whether the council would enforce.....?

unforeseen

The house doesn't actually own the driveway external to their boundary. It is still part of the highway so no contract with the neighbour needed. 

AdrianC

unforeseen said:

The house doesn't actually own the driveway external to their boundary. It is still part of the highway so no contract with the neighbour needed. 

It certainly is to drive over their land. And there's no other way to get to that parking space...

The only way to get to the yellow parking space is via the green. You cannot drive on the red, only on the blue.

If there's an RoW over the green enshrined in their LR registration, that would include a restriction on blocking the RoW... Which means it can't be used for parking.