I own a house 50% with my brother. He has lived there for 15 years and has mental health issues. I live elsewhere with my mum, who's my carer. Previous co-owners (our dad and another relative) died in the last 2 years.
It is an end of terrace, and has a communal access alleyway down the side of the house that is shared between six houses, including ours. The alleyway goes between our house, and our non-attached next door neighbour in the next row of houses.
Our house backs onto a group of semis down another road. They have no entitlement to use the alleyway, and no need as they each have their own private alleyway down the sides of their houses.
Nevertheless, some of them have put gates in and are using the alleyway as a short cut. (This is a long-standing problem, but my dad used to keep on top of it).
It really bothers my brother as people walking down the alleyway is noisily conspicuous and disturbing. There is also the problem of random drunks going down there, and urinating.
My brother would like to put a gate between ours and next door (non-attached) to block the alleyway. Next door is okay with this.
We are both awkward and don't talk to many of the neighbours, except both sides next door.
I suspect that most of the other neighbours who are entitled to use the alleyway wouldn't care who uses it, as it doesn't go directly past their houses so they don't hear anything.
I personally would let the other semi-detached houses behind use it, but my brother's the one who lives there and it really disturbs him. I don't know how next door attached feels, but he has a cane corso and a dog owner from one of the semis uses the alley, which caused a barking fit between his dog and the cane corso.
Would we be unreasonable to put a gate up?
Would we need to get consent of all the other neighbours, or just tell them and hand them a key?
Do we do a cease and desist letter to the semi homeowners?
Is there anything we need to know or do?