Does a council name on a road sign indicate it’s been adopted?

AFF8879

Hi all,

I recently purchased a new build and was informed there would be an annual estate management fee for as long as the new roads remained unadopted by the council (with no timeframe of when, or if that would ever happen). The estate charge was small, with the draconian remedies expressly excluded so I have no issue with this.

However over the past week, the council name has been added to the corner of the road sign. Does this mean it has been adopted, or is it meaningless? I couldn’t see anything obvious on Google….

Sandtree

Generally sign makers dont do any due diligence to ensure the person ordering something has the permission to do so in relation to copyright, trademarks etc but their T&Cs will simply state that you have the owners permission...

It means nothing, you could replace it tomorrow with a sign having Knightsbridge crest instead.

Section62

AFF8879 said:

However over the past week, the council name has been added to the corner of the road sign. Does this mean it has been adopted, or is it meaningless? I couldn’t see anything obvious on Google….

No.  Street naming and the provision of street name plates (not signs) is a separate local authority function to them being a highway authority (responsible for adopted roads/roads maintainable at public expense).

The owner of a private road can provide their own street name plates, or (if the service is provided) ask the LA to do it for them.

Noneforit999

Looking at the state of the bit behind the sign, I would be shocked if the Council had adopted it already.

We are on a new build estate and it took the developer 5 years to get the council to adopt several of the roads, they even has to stick some dropped kerbs in to satisfy them first.

Our management fee hasn't gone down though so I wouldn't get your hopes up. 

Section62

Noneforit999 said:

Looking at the state of the bit behind the sign, I would be shocked if the Council had adopted it already.

That bit could be private (even if the road/footway is adopted).  Increasingly councils are willing only to adopt the least possible.  Typically an area like that behind the footway would be grassed or landscaped, and councils really don't want the hassle of having to take on more maintenance-intensive areas like that.