Creating a “car park” on some land near home

[Sparky27]

Hi all, I have no private parking at my house and looking on some advice on a idea that I have of turning a small plot of land I have near my house in to a driveway so to speak...

Was thinking clear out land completely, build a retaining wall from sleepers, level off and put some hardcore down...

Would this be the right kind of idea or completely unrealistic and need surveys and structural reports etc...

Pics attached, TIA

 

[FlyByNight]

First questions, assuming you own the land.

Is there reasonable vehicle access and do you have a right of access for a vehicle?

Are there any covenants on the deeds restricting use of the land?

 

[Sparky27]

First questions, assuming you own the land.

Is there reasonable vehicle access and do you have a right of access for a vehicle?

Are there any covenants on the deeds restricting use of the land?

Thanks for the reply, yes I own the land. There are no restrictions on the deeds.

With regards to access, the steep hill pictured I was going to turn in and park and reverse out. It’s a no through road just used for access up to the terrace so am thinking I won’t need permission to drive on/off it?

 

[quasar9]

Key question, is the road owned and maintained by the council and as such deemed a public road ? If it’s not and is a private road, do you have any rights to its use other than access to your newly acquired land. Was access to this land always via this road? Is your land boundary completely adjacent to the road ? Ie no strip of grass verge or pavement ?


if a public road, even if unclassified, you need permission from the local council or highway agency as you are creating a new access to your land from it.

By law, whether you have permission or not, if you start using the road and nobody objects, after a period of time (20 years) you will have effectively created a right to access called easement. If access to your land has always been via your proposed route, easement may have already have been created and you just need to gather proof in case you are challenged by the legal land owner of the road and or any verges

 

[Sparky27]

Key question, is the road owned and maintained by the council and as such deemed a public road ? If it’s not and is a private road, do you have any rights to its use other than access to your newly acquired land. Was access to this land always via this road? Is your land boundary completely adjacent to the road ? Ie no strip of grass verge or pavement ?


if a public road, even if unclassified, you need permission from the local council or highway agency as you are creating a new access to your land from it.

By law, whether you have permission or not, if you start using the road and nobody objects, after a period of time (20 years) you will have effectively created a right to access called easement. If access to your land has always been via your proposed route, easement may have already have been created and you just need to gather proof in case you are challenged by the legal land owner of the road and or any verges

Im not 100% sure who owns the road, it’s either the council or housing association. As far as I’m aware nobody maintains it and when I challenged the council about the bins they didn’t want to know.

The land came with the property when I bought it 3 years ago, but has always been in the deeds in fact there was more land adjoined to it which has been taken off over the years and divided to the housing association. And yes the only access to the land is off the steep road, due to the bank and bins from the bottom (which the council don’t want to take responsibility for).

There is no strip of grass or pavement but a small 1ft wall, which is mine separating the land from the road. The neighbours have gates chopped out to gain access to their bit so was thinking of doing the same just wide enough to put a car through.

Access I’m not to bothered about, it will be a levelled 50/50 grass/gravel garden that can conveniently be driven on to when there are no car parking spaces after a 12 hour night shift, saving me the half mile walk up a huge hill. I’m more wondering if the bank is stable enough to take the weight and the best option of levelling it?