Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Driveway being used as neighbourhood play area

154 replies

Chafl · 30/03/2021 18:04

I've just moved onto a new build estate, where most of the houses are off to the left or right of the main street, with neighbours sharing a narrow drive / access path (no pavement), which is unadopted by the council and for access only, not parking (don't have the deeds yet, but been referred to as this by the sales team).

Ours steps uphill and joins what is going to be a green area, when finished, and since the sun has come out, has attracted just about every child on the estate with their bikes, scooters, roller blades, skateboards..

I'm not just talking about neighbours' children playing in front of their own property next door, which I need to pass over to get home, (I am in the middle house) but loads of them constantly whizzing up and down outside, congregating and making it difficult to come and go.

The number of them means they encourage each other to keep going and won't move when you try to leave the driveway, so a quiet word with one won't really work.

I don't know any of their parents yet, and don't really want to get off on the wrong foot - be that upsetting them by asking them to leave, or allowing it to happen.

AIBU to think that it's only 'shared' for the actual residents and is actually our 'shared' private property, or should I (and the neighbourhood kids) be treating this like a public space?

OP posts:
Lindy2 · 30/03/2021 18:46

Is it because your access road is a slope that it is attracting all the kids? I can imagine it's fun on their bikes and scooters if they've got a slope to play on.

The green area is going to be where people gather and play. From your diagram it looks like they need to use your road to get to it.

I can see why you're a bit annoyed but I don't think there's anything you can do about it. It seems like a nice family estate so there's going to be lots of kids around.

Comefromaway · 30/03/2021 18:47

How many times does the OP have to make it clear, it’s not a road, it’s a shared drive with right of way for the three houses.

malmi · 30/03/2021 18:49

You say that it's not a cul de sac and it will connect to a green area. So it sounds like it's not private to your property.

What's the actual problem though, I don't quite understand how these kids are preventing you leaving your house.

malmi · 30/03/2021 18:51

Ok just seen your update and understand this spur does not connect to a green space at the end. If it's part of your property on your deeds then YANBU to tell the kids to get off your drive.

Original poster
Chafl · 30/03/2021 18:52

Maybe my diagram is terrible and impossible to read, but there's no area that is accessed by my drive apart from the house next door.

There is a strip of tarmac out the front of my house, leading only to a fence at the top of the slope and the pavement and main road at the bottom. There will he some grass along the side of it, between ours and the drive for the houses which will be opposite.

So three houses, facing three more. Tarmac to access each - not a road - small area of grass in the centre, which according to all the other little squares of six houses set up like this, is to be 'kept off'.

OP posts:
UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 30/03/2021 18:54

That diagram does not look at all like a driveway - each house has a driveway of its own, accessed by a cul-de-sac or ahort stretch of road (potentially unadopted). That's not what a driveway is - a driveway is somewhere you can park your car (if its shared your neighbor can park on it too).

Knittedfairies · 30/03/2021 18:57

If it's the shortest route to the green space, no amount of 'keep off the grass' signs is going to stop the local children creating a desire path to it. Perhaps you should be speaking to the developers.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 30/03/2021 18:57

A road on which parking isn't allowed, which leads to a green and has houses each side isn't a driveway.

Stovetopespresso · 30/03/2021 18:57

hose 'em off!!

jessstan2 · 30/03/2021 18:58

I sympathise and would find that quite intimidating. I wouldn't want to go out there, frankly.

Hopefully when restrictions are gone, children will be going elsewhere for their play.

savvy7 · 30/03/2021 19:01

Is it somewhere you can park to stop the problem?

WallaceinAnderland · 30/03/2021 19:02

Set up a sweetie stall and you will either a) make money off them or b) have them kept away by parents who don't want to be pestered for sweetie money

PenguinBarnotBird · 30/03/2021 19:02

@Chafl

Maybe my diagram is terrible and impossible to read, but there's no area that is accessed by my drive apart from the house next door.

There is a strip of tarmac out the front of my house, leading only to a fence at the top of the slope and the pavement and main road at the bottom. There will he some grass along the side of it, between ours and the drive for the houses which will be opposite.

So three houses, facing three more. Tarmac to access each - not a road - small area of grass in the centre, which according to all the other little squares of six houses set up like this, is to be 'kept off'.

Sounds like it’s a case of waiting it out, if there are houses due to go in opposite yours?

Not sure why these kids are preventing you coming and going though? Surely a nice loud “excuse me, let me pass please” should do the trick?

Dcadmam001 · 30/03/2021 19:02

Have your asked your two neighbours what their opinion is? Have you asked sales office for advice?

SilverBirchWithout · 30/03/2021 19:02

Sounds similar to our private drive which is used as access for 5 houses. The only person with right of way across this drive is your neighbour next door. You own the land in front of you, and are required to pay for its upkeep. The children are not permitted to play there as it’s private land, and I can imagine it’s pretty noisy with the sounds of skate boards going up and down.
I would chat to both of your neighbours about the situation, if they have children themselves they may take a different view, but it would be helpful to work out a solution between the 3 of you.
It’s a difficult situation on an estate built for families. I would either try to take a chilled attitude to it if I could as you could end up obsessed with the issue, or prepare myself for a long battle!

PenguinBarnotBird · 30/03/2021 19:03

@Stovetopespresso

hose 'em off!!
Oh yes. All my votes for this!!
VeganVeal · 30/03/2021 19:05

This is MN, of course the children can play there and you'd be mean to stop the little angels. Ideally you should provide some chalk so they can express themselves through the medium of art on the road/drive.

Armi · 30/03/2021 19:07

Have you been out and actually asked them all to move on, explaining that the driveway isn’t to be used in this way? Kids are often very amenable if you take a polite but firm approach.

It would drive me nuts too, OP.

GreenWillow · 30/03/2021 19:08

Can you club together with the other 2 neighbours and fit a gate at the end of your driveway?

user1494055864 · 30/03/2021 19:09

Can you speak to the neighbours either side? Tell the kids to go and play outside their own houses?

NeedaLittleNap · 30/03/2021 19:09

Do you know why they've picked yours? Are some of the kids your direct neighbours? Are they likely to move on to another patch when more houses are built, or will there eventually be a common area or even a bit of grass they're allowed on??

User5747384 · 30/03/2021 19:10

Are the keep off the grass signs temporary whilst the grass is growing?
Or has the grass already grown and the kids not allowed to play on it?
If it's the latter I am really surprised they have built a development where kids can't play anywhere.
On our one and many I know they have lots of green spaces for kids to do just that.
Can you get a private driveway sign?

sunflowersandbuttercups · 30/03/2021 19:12

@GreenWillow

Can you club together with the other 2 neighbours and fit a gate at the end of your driveway?
How can they do this when it's just an access road, not a driveway?
UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 30/03/2021 19:13

jessstan2 you are intimidated by children of the age to be playing ?

VeganVeal MN is actually pretty anti children doing anything remotely likely to irritate or disturb adults - not outside before 9am or after 7pm is almost a consensus, and any children in a restaurant have to be firmly under control - universal outrage at any loud children or children running around, quite rightly. MN is pretty pursed lipped about any free spirit type parents. Doesn't mean adults get to ban children from playing in a reasonable way, at a reasonable time, in outdoor spaces the adults in question don't have exclusive ownership of/ sole tenancy rights to though.

user1471530109 · 30/03/2021 19:13

Of course it's a driveway! It's a shared drive like the OP says.

OP, have you spoken to your new neighbours? Are they annoyed too? Could you all pay for a fence to go the other side of the driveway, keeping it separate from the green?
And why are the kids using that bit of grass instead of all the others?