AIBU to think my new home developer can't put a wildlife corridor in my garden

[Homemoans]

I've just bought a new build house, when we moved in we realised that the developer had fenced a strip of land at the side of our garden off, when we asked why they said it's a wildlife corridor. The boundary on the deeds is the second fence so we immediately on completing took down the internal fence. They are now saying we need to reinstall it or they may contact the council who will Inforce it?! Surely this isn't possible for them to dictate what we do within our boundary. I'll try and attach some pictures if I can work out how to make this a bit clearer

Looking at your plan and the part which poster above has kindly highlighted in red to me this says this is not your land and the words future access reinforces that. That will probably form some access later to maybe the country park?

One plan seem to show your boundary, a wildlife corridor and then the boundary fence as said by another poster. The other plan doesn’t show enough for me to tell.

From the pictures you have posted it looks like that the wildlife corridor is outside your boundary?

I.douby you can unilaterally declare it as your land, it will have been a condition of the build.

On the plan with your house shown in pink, the boundary is very clearly shown with the extra strip adjacent. Why did you imagine you were buying the extra strip?

I think some posters have only looked at the first photos. OP's house isn't the end one.

I agree with posters above, the strip of land doesn't look like it's part of your deeds on any of the pictures you've shown. Sorry!

The photos show the 'corridor' I don't get the issue

There will be a legal answer to this which I don't have and (sadly IMHO as clearly there was a need established for this and it was part of pp) when the development is complete you can probably do what the heck you like with the land. However, I had a similar thing on
a corner plot house. My garden fence at the side had an enormous verge on the other side which was part of my property. This was clearly marked in red on planning map. I was unable to move my fence to incorporate this strip in to my back garden as the utility pipes ran there and the deeds said I should leave them clear and accessible. It would have made a huge difference to my back garden to incorporate it but sadly I had to leave it yet continue to mow and maintain the grass. Check your deeds and think of the bunnies and hedgehogs scuttling by.

Oops sorry, yes it is. You need to show more of your third photo, OP, you've cut off the relevant bit.

Are you sure you haven't just misunderstood where your boundary is?

We back onto fields which are being developed. The new houses have exactly the same thing. There's fencing at the end of our garden, then a gap which is supposed to be planted and then a low fence which is the new house boundary. I questioned the developers about the new property owners changing the planting etc but that part belongs to the development and not the properties so they're not allowed to remove their fence or use the space.

As a pp has said - have you checked for further development on the land around you?

Yes its looks quite clear .. the boundary is right beside your house .. that other bit is not your land..Did you check with the developer first or your solicitor ?

I think you've misunderstood where the boundary to your plot is

You might want to ask HQ to remove the screenshot photo, OP as it's easy to figure out where this is...

Hope you get it resolved!

It really does look like that was never part of your garden - the plans make it look like it was always outside your boundary? If so you have now added random extra space that isn't yours in to your garden!

I think you need to meet with the builders / planners and get them to clearly show you where the borders to your property are, to make sure.

But how disappointing to think you are buying a bigger garden.

Did you say you have removed the fence to the access corridor? You will very likely have to pay for the cost of that to be reinstated and any fees incurred by the LA in pursuing this.

Two more pictures. The future access arrow is no longer happening this was proposed at the start of the development when they were hoping to expand further into adjacent land but planning permission to build on it has been denied so we now have a giant front garden which we are responsible for maintaining.

The boundary of my property is the thick black line, which is to the outside of the 'wildlife corridor'

We'll that's all good then. You have more land than you thought.

Hmm. The second photo looks like the wildlife corridor is not part of your property, the first that it is

You need to get a solicitor to look at this. Because to me (bought new build myself several times) the corridor is clearly marked and you have misunderstood where the boundary is.

But it will all be in the deeds one way or another.

What did you think that was on the plans?

What document tells you that your boundary is the outside of the corridor not up to it? What you have shown us suggests you only own up to the corridor.

Are you sure its the thick black line i would see it as my boundary being in the inner line on the plan