Driveway being used as neighbourhood play area

[Chafl]

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?

user1471530109 a driveway that you aren’t allowed to drive in?

Well you sound really mean but if you are within your rights ho ahead and become the person who objects to children playing outside your house.

My neighbours dc play up and down my drive, never ever occurred to me to get annoyed (except the time they kep kicking the ball against the gate). Same children are now indoors on the Xbox all the time.

They will probably get bored once the novelty wears off.

I wonder why they play there when there are so many other similar access roads?

Why can people not read? The OP
Has explained that the other groups of houses already have the grass in between, with KOTG signs. Her’s has no grass or signs yet.

Hers*

Same as mine, particularly in school holidays. Fucking nightmare to be honest, am usually really nervous of knocking down a kid as I turn into the access road. Or a dog. Or running over a bike. Told the parents but they shrug it off til someone ends up squashed.

It's not a driveway, it's an access road.

OP I am a bit confused

But if it's a shared space with a neighbour that looks like a public area, I don't know what to suggest except getting it sealed off.

These designs are appalling but that's the reason many don't buy them.

Is there some kind of right of way over your land? If it is that, then I don't think you can put up a fence or gate.

@user1471530109

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?

How is a driveway?

It's a shared access road that crosses in front of several houses. We have a similar dead-end road along the back of our house. It has driveways leading off it, but the actual road itself is council-owned land and anyone can drive there, park there or play along there as long as access is maintained for bin men, council vehicles, emergency services etc.

it's not our property and we have no right to stop children playing on it.

Except it’s marked on OPs deeds as her property.

OP don’t be THAT neighbour who complains when the kids play out. It’s well documented that kids benefit from playing out and society benefits from children who grow up more physically and mentally healthy.

DO however assert yourself politely when you need past. It’s not clear if you mean by car but if they’re not moving use your horn. It should attract the attention of their parents as well as asking them to move and alerting them to the danger of a moving car.

@Comefromaway

Except it’s marked on OPs deeds as her property.

She doesn’t have her deeds yet but that’s what the sales team told her.

"It's a shared access road that crosses in front of several houses. We have a similar dead-end road along the back of our house. It has driveways leading off it, but the actual road itself is council-owned land and anyone can drive there, park there or play along there as long as access is maintained for bin men, council vehicles, emergency services etc."

Op owns the bit of road in front of her house so it's not council owned.
I am the same with my newbuild I own some parts of it solely myself (I am at the end) and another part I own with my neighbour.
It's quite normal for newbuild estates to have private roads/driveways like this.

Is it just me who thinks this estate sounds poorly designed? Is this a standard set up? Miserable for kids when I would have thought being on a new build estate could have had loads of potential for play & community built in to it.

@museumum

OP don’t be THAT neighbour who complains when the kids play out. It’s well documented that kids benefit from playing out and society benefits from children who grow up more physically and mentally healthy.

DO however assert yourself politely when you need past. It’s not clear if you mean by car but if they’re not moving use your horn. It should attract the attention of their parents as well as asking them to move and alerting them to the danger of a moving car.

You think it's healthy to let kids play out on an access road? Ok.

I don’t know where her garage is but the one I viewed you could drive over it to access your garage but couldn’t park on it as that would block your neighbours access to their garage.

@RogueMNerKnowsNoShame

Are they using chalk?

Pahahaha I was thinking exactly this!

@skeggycaggy

Is it just me who thinks this estate sounds poorly designed? Is this a standard set up? Miserable for kids when I would have thought being on a new build estate could have had loads of potential for play & community built in to it.

I believe that's why the developments have to have a 'green space' by law. So the kids have somewhere to play. (I think this is dependent on number of houses but is definitely the case in my area)

@AnImposter

[quote skeggycaggy] Is it just me who thinks this estate sounds poorly designed? Is this a standard set up? Miserable for kids when I would have thought being on a new build estate could have had loads of potential for play & community built in to it.

I believe that's why the developments have to have a 'green space' by law. So the kids have somewhere to play. (I think this is dependent on number of houses but is definitely the case in my area) [/quote]
But OP says her green space has ‘keep off the grass signs on it’.

Where is your parking? Do you have a driveway at the side of your house?

Is there a Facebook group for the estate?

@skeggycaggy not her green space, a general green space usually in the middle of the development. Although in all fairness this is almost always the last thing the developers seem to do

Yes it definitely does sounds poorly designed, My estate is great for green space.
The whole keep off the grass sign things sounds ridiculous.
I love seeing kids playing in our green spaces.
Such a lovely childhood for them out in the fresh air playing safely.

We live on an unadopted road OP and some years ago a neighbour looked into the issue of kids playing on it and discovered that we could collectively be held liable in case of injury. You will also be liable for all repairs so if those scooters damage the driveway in some way, it'll be you and your neighbours footing the bill.

@skeggycaggy. That's my area anyway, can't speak for the rest of the world.

Looks kind of like a mews set up.

YANBU to find it annoying but I’m not sure you can do anything about it.