Access road for sale - why?!

Robinette

There is an access road for sale that runs along the rear of about 20 Victorian terraced properties in the town centre, one of which I used to live in. There are lots of garages and parking areas off the access road. My question is, why? Who would be selling it (perhaps the council, as potholes were repaired when I lived there?) and why would anyone want to buy it? The guide price is £1+. 

user1977

Presumably the legal pack will tell you who is selling it? Any land is potentially worth something in the future even if it currently seems worthless, you don't know what future development plans may be.

daveyjp

Probably a cash strapped council offloading assets.  There will be no need to own it and if they ever need the land they have CPO powers so selling it now is low risk.

DullGreyGuy

Along the Thames there are various points where the footpath goes from being on solid ground to being on wooden walkways to go round buildings that are right up to the Thames Wall. Was surprised to see one of them up for sale a few months ago with a guide price of a couple of hundred. 

You clearly won't own the riverbed its standing on, it had a 980 year remaining year agreement with the block of flats it goes around for something like £250 a year and is a public right of way over it. Your going to have to buy PL insurance, its likely it requires periodic inspections given its legs are in the water 2/3 of the time etc... really struggled to workout who'd want it at it seemed like a money pit. Forgot to bookmark it so can't see what happened at auction

RHemmings

While I can't find any for sale right now, I've seen lots of roads up for sale. Sometimes they are what seems to be all the roads in an estate, but none of the houses, gardens, or green areas. Just the roads with a very complicated red line marking them out.

I assume that someone wants to sell them to avoid the responsibility for maintenance, and hope that some chancer will buy them. That's my impression, but it's just a guess not backed up by verifiable facts. 

user1977

Most likely to be of no particular value unless/until somebody wants additional land to extend their house/garden, or the whole surrounding development gets redeveloped.

tacpot12

You need to be careful buying such plots of land as they may come with liabilities for upkeep, and if anyone is injured because the land is neglected. 

theoretica

I can see why someone would want to sell it - I wouldn't want to own it, so if I had it I would try to get rid.  And maybe one of the owners along there would think it worth owning for a bit of added confidence about keeping the right of way or having it maintained they way they want or something.

Robinette

Thanks for your replies. I have registered to receive the legal pack when it is available but have no intention of buying - it's just intriguing me.