When is a private road not so private … when it shares its ground with a public right-of-way, such as a footpath or bridleway. This means that the public are present legitimately (as pedestrians and equestrians) and are due the protection of the road traffic act. Shouting “itsa private road innit mista” is not a robust defence. The following text is copied from Sussex Crimewatch: … Continue reading e-Scooters, Mini-Moto, Quads & Motocross Bikes
Despite the flippant title, this question has several key points to answer: Firstly, neither the administrator nor the volunteer committee members deserve to receive such messages while they are working hard for the benefit of the community. In the words of one of our previous chairmen “we do this for love (of Ifold) and if we don’t see any love in return then you may … Continue reading FAQ #6 : Can’t wait for you bastards at IEL to go bust (and various other hate-mail in response to the maintenance charge invoices)
… asked no-one, ever. This is not really a frequently asked question, but is something that many of the other questions are linked to. So it’s worth answering once and then future FAQs can refer back to it. The first hurdle is to ask what defines a ‘road’, and it turns out that it is not the physical construction (whether it is constructed of tarmac, … Continue reading FAQ #5 : What is the legal status of the private roads …
This is one of those topics where IEL gets pulled in both directions. As owners “in possession” of the roads we have a duty of care to ensure the roads are safe, and hedges are a factor if they were to encroach on to the road and block visibility. In many places the trees, hedges and shrubs are clearly on IEL verges and so we … Continue reading FAQ #4 : Cut the hedges more vs Don’t cut the hedges
Ultimately IEL has no authority over the erection of fences bordering the roads and indeed members of the committee, as Ifold residents, are sometimes split on the topic. But we can offer some feedback based on recent cases that we have experienced. Fences and gates will be considered the same here. Hedges are a little different since they have a habit of growing towards the … Continue reading FAQ #3 : What is the permitted height of fencing bordering the roads?
Typically, the roads were formed to include a 40ft swathe of land from edge to edge. This was to cater for future expansion in case the roads were ever adopted by the council and needed typical additions such as two distinct lanes plus pavements. But this is the general case. Since the Brake Estate was selling plots to individual buyers and these sales spanned over … Continue reading FAQ #2 : Where is the boundary between the road and my garden?
Specifically relating to “granting” … none at all! Chichester is the planning authority and makes those decisions, with local inputs provided by the Parish Council. IEL does aim to keep a positive liaison with the Parish Council and other organisations such as IFRA, planning enforcement, District Councillor Gareth Evans, the Highways authority including Rights-of-Way officer for inputs relating to road maintenance, plus the utility companies … Continue reading FAQ #1 : What input does IEL have for granting or not-granting planning permission?
