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?

Wow fascinating- keep us posted OP !

Shared water connections are no longer permitted, not sure about sewage. But the answer remains firmly no - you can do it nicely by saying they’d have to cover your surveyor’s and legal fees as well as your lender’s surveyors and legal fees as well as providing a new driveway to exacting specifications etc . He just needs his own klargester for sewage though. Where’s he getting mains water from??

I think I'd say no - surely when planning permission was received the implications for receiving services was considered (and approved on a certain basis)?! He should follow whatever that is.

Definitely say no. He can either join at the top of his plot as indicated by the pp above or else he can get a septic tank and soakaway.

Why can't they run it down the road and join it where there sewer crosses the road. Then any other builds on that side can join it in the street.
Then it's nothing to do with you.
I wouldn't want their sewer line running all the way down my driveway like that.

We had one new sewer connected on our land to serve two new houses. The land is a field, the connection is about 300 yards from our garden wall, and down the hill.

We are ok with this (though the field is now very overgrown now so lets hope no-one ever needs to find the junction 😅)

But a critical bit of someone/s else's infrastructure right by my house, on a bit of my propery I use daily? No thanks.

150mm pipe wouldn't serve the number of houses that could go on the plot - has planning permission been applied for/granted (you ought to have been notified by the council as you live opposite it - at worst, there should be a bit of paper taped to a telegraph pole outside the plot)

Plus having a sewer there would probably sterilise that side of your plot if you/your successors wanted to build a garage/extension/replacement dwelling especially with deep foundations (eg for two stories)

...so work out if it might devalue your home by more than the cost of a new drive, at least....

Fuck that.

This. Something doesn't add up here. At a minimum, call them to find out what's going on.

@SingingToMySeeds I worked in drainage installations in a previous role. As well as the excellent advice above you also need to check that he gas applied to the water board for a sewer connection. If he has to cross a road then he will also need highways permission in order to do this.

The connection will need additional manholes and I promise you it will take more than 1 day to install.

Feel free to PM me and I can try and help you re legalities and who to contact

This.

I live in a very old house, which was divide in two about 50 years ago. The water supply for both half-houses goes through my property & under my hall. It is a huge pain!

I knew this when I bought the house, but I wouldn't willingly assent to it if it weren't already there.

I suspect your neighbour is trying to do it this way because it's cheaper for him, going by your plan. But it's not better for you. He can connect the sewer without going onto your land.

If you let him, it creates an easement in perpetuity, which can lower the value of your property.

Basically, no.

I think neighbour may need an easement drafting up. Your land will be subjective, his beneficial. This deed will require registration with the Land Registry and needs solicitors input.

They should pay all costs for this and the deed will ensure you are covered in case things go wrong.

You should also be compensated.

Neighbour also needs planning permission and checks done as others have said.

We were the neighbours in this scenario, asking if we could dig into next doors gravel drive to access the sewer and add a spur so we wouldn't need a septic track any more.

The company doing the work set it all out in a contract for next door and provided a map of the work. They agreed, signed the contract, and when the work was finished we re-gravelled their drive.

There was zero drama, everything was completed in good time, our neighbour was happy with their re-gravelled drive and everyone still gets on OK.

It doesn't have to be a disaster in the making @SingingToMySeeds, but do make sure they use a reputable company who give you all the information ahead of time. If they look like they're cutting corners you don't have to give permission.

Succinct but to the point.

Some people are experts at making their problems your problem. His plumbing is not your issue. Yesterday you didn’t know he existed.
Carefully consider all of the advice given so far. This person is nobody to you, yet wants to inconvenience you for their own financial gain.
You could tell him £10k, in advance, and he meets all legal bills, or whatever figure you pick.

Omg just no.
As others have said, it would devalue your home as the other property would have an easement in case of repairs or blockages. You may be restricted on future work on your own property.
And, that's quite a big piece of land, could get planning permission for any number of homes and all the occupants sewage would be coming under your drive. One small leak or crack would transform your property into wiffy central....!
My guess is they are going to use 'connected to utilties' as support for their planning permission
Tomorrow ring the planning department and see if anything is approved for that land, and the utility Company, I bet they won't be giving permission for randoms to just connect up to their pipes.

millions ? Can you name 100 of them ?

Having parents whose garden has flooded with sewage several times as it is the junction for various pipes, I would just say no

You're suggesting OP takes advantage of these neighbours being "screwed without OP's agreement???" Wow. 1/10 for morals

It's just another way of saying 'lots'.

Mils garden was the meeting point for everyone else's sewerage. It wasn't good when it was commonly blocked with someone's wet wipes

Same here

Something doesn't add up.

You don't get planning permission for a house to be built then hope the kind neighbour allows their drive to be dug up for pipes!

If you say no, what then?
I think they are unable to do what was originally planned which makes me wary. The last thing you want is sewerage problems in your drains- we had this once due to neighbours throwing baby wipes down their toilet but we had to fork out the bill as the blockage ended up overflowing through our drain.

I would say no.