Neighbour digging up my driveway

[SingingToMySeeds]

The vacant plot across from my house and was recently sold and today the new owner came to introduce themselves. They also wanted to ask permission to dig up my driveway to get sewer access. My driveway is a long gravel one full of weeds which I hate! They were vaguely offering to compensate us for our trouble with some extra gravel and a new heavy duty weed membrane. They seemed to think the work would be one day of disturbance. Any pitfalls I should be aware of in the arrangement?

This is what’s so great about Mumsnet - you learn so much!

This is very true.

OP I would also suggest, if you do go ahead with this, that you also get a surveyor of your own involved (at their cost so that you pay nothing) to ensure the work is done to an acceptable standard along with adequate provision for inspection and really good reinstatement.

Do you know enough about groundworks yourself to know if their guys were doing things properly or not? I certainly wouldn't.

He can't just sig up the public highway, he needs to get all kinds of permissions etc. from the council. I don't think he can just connect to an existing sewer, that would be the utility company.
It all sounds a bit Mickey Mouse.

OP do not agree to this. They will be trying to take the easiest route for them which might not be the best and legal route.

Do not deal with the neighbour, do not deal with the builder. To connect into a sewer, that is owned by the water company, he needs to apply and get permission. Even if it's a private sewer (doubtful) then he still needs to apply. You are responsible for household water pipes on your land.

Seriously OP this will go very badly if he doesn't follow the correct procedures. Just think he wants to dig up your drive - for how long? What about any damage? Will he put it back exactly as it was? Will he compensate you for inconvenience? And so on .....

Why can’t they run it along their land? Like this -

I echo pps concerns about what happens if the pipe is damaged. I believe damaged pipes on owners land is the responsibility of the owner to fix. You need an agreement on this

Absolutely! Surely this makes more sense than crossing a road? It looks like they're going for the cheapest option rather than the sensible one. Let him use his own land.

I would say no. It's a headache you don't need.

No. You don't want a sewage junction in your back garden where a very big plot meets the main line.

The obvious route is the one shown above on his own side of the road. But this should be outlined in his own planning permission. Does he have any permission yet and for how many houses?

Consult your solicitor, at their expense. You should also contact your mortgage company as they may say no.

Maybe too high to connect to depending on whether the land slopes. Sewer direction is the other way.

Maybe because they need to make the connection as downstream as possible ?

I would not be happy about my garden becoming sewage central because if the join does increase the potential for jams (?) then if there is access in your garden it will back up there first ?

Also the more houses on that plot the more possibilities for jams ? It looks like a big plot to me.

1. Get legal advice.
2. Get advice from a surveyor.
3. If in doubt, say no.
4. Do not sign anything until you've done (1) and (2).

I wouldn’t do this until everything was signed off and agreed by the water company. Possibly needing their engineers/ops to do it too. Imagine if something goes wrong! Or you have to declare it in a future sale. Maybe you can use that as a reason why as much as you’d love to, you really can’t help without paper trails in place.

The OP isn't obliged to spend their money to do 1 and 2 at this point in time, this isn't for their benefit. I don't see a reason not to say no.

Also fair points.

Assuming the red line is the sewer pipe why can't they do a long pipe left to attach? I'd say no.

It is possible he can't connect to the pipe further up on his own side if the fall of the land is going to wrong way.
If I remember rightly (off the top of my head) you need a 1 in 40 fall for a foul pipe, so that might be why he wants to go that way.
You need to know what the implications for the liability of the pipe that crosses your land is... The fact he can casually mention weed membrane and new gravel and think that covers anything you might need to worry your pretty little head about tells me he isn't taking it seriously.
I would expect someone making a request out of the blue about something like that to be showing me what the legal+utility implications of this would be.
Which means he doesn't know or doesn't care what he's asking.
If he's bought the plot without having a sewage plan that's on him.
He can get himself a soak away and he'll save money by not needing to pay the water company to deal with his waste water.

Yes

The fact that he's being a cf about this means I'd just say no off the bat.

They have to excavate a big hole at the proposed sewer junction, pour in a lot of concrete, then construct a manhole or insert the concrete rings.
This is no one day event.

Agree.
And not all groundwork crews put in correct manhole, which then breeches building regs.
Or the correct fall, for gravity to get the goods where they're going.
Some just plonk a pipe in and call it done... There are pipe connections and then there are compliant pipe connections.

Not to mention the correct amount of pea gravel to surround and protect the pipe...
I would be standing over them with building regs list with my own tape measure, spirit level etc if I let them go over my land... Which I wouldn't unless they showed the same respect for standards and attention to detail... Which he hasn't.

He could be trying to get this connection done illegally on the cheap so he can sell the plot on for more money as it now has a connection to services.

Presumably he will want to do the same re electricity in due course?

Once he had sold the plot you have no gentleman's agreement (or whatever this is)as it could be anyone who buys it and who then don't maintain it or whatever. It could be multiple houses comments yes to it in due course and the pipe can't cope and you have the mess and expense to fix it.

You might have legal advice in your insurance policy? I'd check.

I'd say no. I know it's longer and more inconvenient and expensive for them, but they can go along the edge of the field and connect further down. Why should you be inconvenienced just because they don't want to be? You owe them nothing.

Speak to your water and sewerage company urgently. He might be making an illegal connection.