FAQ's on Private Roads

Not a common sight, but from time to time I am sure you have seen a sign of 'Private Road No Entry' or 'Private Road Strictly Residents Only' etc. These roads are in fact exactly what they say they are, not public highways, and you would be seen as trespassing if you have no permission to enter on to them.

What exactly is a Private Road? According to the Highways Act 1980, a private road (or 'unadopted' road) is any highway that's not maintained at public expense. It would have been desirable in the past to have your own private road shared with neighbours, almost trendy to say 'I live on a private road' whereas today there are far more complications and costs involved.

There are two main types of private or unadopted road: those on new developments such as housing estates and those which, usually by historic accident, have existed for a long time, often since the nineteenth century. source parliament.uk

Private roads come with all sorts of headaches to include rights of access, responsibilities, maintenance, insurance and much more. It is highly advisable that the deed for the private road is looked at in detail to find out what agreements are in place.

Can we sell a private road? Local Authority can be approached to adopt private roads, however, it is ultimately their decision if they take it on (depending on deeds / condition etc).

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