Stink/Stench Pipe at Back of Property

[Tommy-Lee Staples]

Hi there, I own a house in Bexley, Kent, DA5. It is a 1930's semi detached property. At the end of the garden there is a extremely tall fibreglass stink/stench pipe that comes out of the ground.

I have looked at title plans and it appears they is a sewer running underneath. I would like to build on this land and wonder if anyone knows whether they are still used to vent the sewers or if they can be removed or moved. Other neighbours have built garages over the sewer but they don't have a stench pipe/stink pipe on their land.

I have attached some photos. I would appreciate any information forum readers may have. As you can see from the photos it is a large piece of land and it seems a waste.

 

[Newboy]

You need to contact the owner of the sewer:

1) They own it and you will not be permitted to alter a public sewer.
2) If you remove the vent pipe how would you plan to make good the resulting hole in the sewer?
3) If you want to build a structure over a public sewer then you will (probably) need a 'build-over agreement'

 

[Tommy-Lee Staples]

Thank you for your response newboy. I believe it is owned by Thames Water. I will make contact with them to confirm it is owned by them and see what options they give me.

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

My brother had a little cast iron flap down near the end of the garden of a 1930s semi. Ignored it. When he wanted to build at the side of the house, it turned out that he had an 18' diameter sewer running under his drive and his garden and the cast iron flap was a "lamp hole". A candle in a lamp was suspended down this hole into the sewer to see if there was any inflamable gas present! As the water board wanted 9' height clearance so they could get a digger in to maintain/replace the sewer, the project was abandoned.
Frank