Defunct land next to house

WIAWSNB

Does your - or their - estate have a ManCo? An organising group to look after communal areas or issues?

kipsterno1

Have you spoken with the footpath office at your local council? I would also consider contacting the local branch of the ramblers association. If it is a public right of way they will be interested.

Boohoo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82017235#Comment_82017235

I discovered this website that maybe of help to the OP but then may not be.

https://footpathmap.co.uk/

Dustyevsky

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82017264#Comment_82017264

I only found this last week. It's a great free asset to those of us trying to plot circular walks etc. The Open Street Map shows paths, but not so clearly.

As to the path in this thread, it looks like a service lane, often used by dustbin collectors in the genteel days when such offensive items were kept out of sight! When refuse operators refused to go onto private land, lanes like this fell into disuse and were frequently viewed as conduits for burglars and haunts of ne'er-do-wells, like teenagers. People therefore removed their access gates. It's possible a right of access by prescription was created here years ago, but proving it would likely be difficult now.

Boohoo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82017283#Comment_82017283

I did suggest the OP goes to the council to see if there are any old maps of the area or they could see if they have records of the original planning application as that won't be digital.

The problem with modern day life is that people don't spend years in the same home so the likelihood of finding someone who's lived in the area for 60 years who you could ask about the estate before it was built would be slim.

I have a neighbour that lives in a street just off my road that's lived in the same home for nearly 70 years and before most of my road had houses on it and she remembers most of it being field's and she knows so much about the people that lived in the houses in her street and my street but sadly today most people don't know who lives in what house as they don't communicate.

Soozmoney29

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82017211#Comment_82017211

No - nothing like that - the whole estate is private homes.

Soozmoney29

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82017235#Comment_82017235

No - but I shall now I know such a thing exists! Thank you

Soozmoney29

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82017341#Comment_82017341

Thanks for this - it doesn't show the lane unfortunately..

I have spoken to some of our older neighbours who say the lane was well used years ago - but nobody can say when it fell into disuse. One neighbour has been here almost 50 years so should know the area well but sadly doesn't have a great memory.

WIAWSNB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82017235#Comment_82017235

That is a good call x 2.

When I found that a small local 'beach' on an estuary walk had been fenced in with lots of 'keep out' and 'CCTV' signs, I forget now who I contacted first, but I think it was North Devon Ramblers. They were very interested, and said they'd investigate. They also pointed me in the direction of the RoW officer at the LA - yup, they have a dedicated fellow!

As it turned out, the RoW guy already knew, and had approached the miscreant and informed him in no uncertain terms…

It is a nice stop-off on that walk again 🙂

vic_sf49

Does "Fix My Street" cover your area?

Coming at things from a tangent...

Some of the street lights in my village are the responsibility of the parish council, some are county council. If I try reporting the one nearest me, it seems to know that some nearby already have work scheduled.

When I've reported some recently I know the Paish council got "involved" with fixing them (not sure what that actually entailed though.)

I was thinking if you reported the other street lights, then someone might investigate them, and find the land grab.

Or report back via the website, that they're not responsible for them, and it is all a private matter.

This is also on the off chance someone has records, that other departments don't know about.