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?

You absolutely can, they will have applied with the planning docs having an off mains drain solution and then known hoped that there is a sewer within 100m and the water board would try and force a connection. It's a common plot unfortunately

No, it is not "taking advantage" it is about getting due compensation for your property being burdened with having an easement for the other property to run their drains under your land.

After reading this I'd definitely say no.

"You absolutely can, they will have applied with the planning docs having an off mains drain solution and then known hoped that there is a sewer within 100m and the water board would try and force a connection. It's a common plot unfortunately"

@ThisBlueCrab

Hopefully OP will have been contacted as a nearby neighbour if they did have planning permission.

Yes they should be/should have been. Or as I mentioned upthread notices generally get posted. Other people in the road may know as well if anything has been applied for, and also OP might be able to view the original sale losting for the plot.

Posted on, er, posts, that is.

Sorry haven’t read all responses so apologies if this repeats some.

So he just popped over casually and tried to get your agreement to this?

I am not saying you SHOULD do this but he needs your agreement to develop land. This normally comes with a great deal of expense to the developer. Some of this is in gaining permission for work which will help them. They should be paying for your agreement and inconvenience. Once the pipes are there you can’t realistically refuse access to maintain them.

For what it’s worth I would say no. That’s not because I want to be unhelpful but because I wouldn’t want problems in future not being able to extend on my own plot because of not being able to build over someone else’s pipes ( or having to pay to re route them).

You can check all planning applications via your Local Authority Public Access. All plans, objections, documents etc. are in the public domain.

You need a proper legal agreement- I think it's called an easement? Agree to nothing until you have taken legal advice.
Easements can cause problems when you sell your house later if there is any doubt about anything. They need to be very clear.

Hell no

They can’t go that way because it probably uphill.
A treatment plant or a pump are points of failure or may smell.

You can go through the rigmarole of getting solicitors etc, you can speak to the building control officer about their plans.

Its only a sewer pipe, they are pretty straight forward.

Things to consider. If you allow access and they lay the drain across your land. Your land will need build over rights to a shared drain if you ever build on it. I can’t tell from the photo but if there is any possibility that someone might in the future want to extend onto any of the land where the drain is proposed I’d consider this.

He could get a cesspit if not. Providing that a tanker can get to it to empty that is.

Oh hell no.

The issues during construction are the least of your worries.

That's a nice big vacant plot over the road into which a sizeable development could be built! He probably got it relatively cheap due to lack of utilities. And might now be looking for the shortest (and cheapest) route to connect up (notwithstanding slope as pp said).

Having a sewer in your garden would massively restrict any future plans you might have, or a future owner might want to do.

Not waste time on the leg work pp have suggested.

The old mn missive No, that doesn't work for me should suffice. If he has any legal right to the access, he'll be back soon to try again. Otherwise he'll just try a neighbour.

Depending on the reaction, you may want to warn them!

What did you say to the neighbour?

Hi OP, I was following this thread with interest and just wondered what happened. I hope everything is ok.

That would be a hell no.