Putting a gate in a fence and creating an access

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Hi all, this isn’t exactly about planning but hopefully someone can help.

I’d like to put a gate in our back fence as we have no side entrance to our back garden.

The fence faces on to an area that’s not a road, but more a small area off the Main Street where people park their cars. About 12 houses all back onto the area and access their back gardens via this, and about five or six people park cars there. There is at least one garage that faces into the area too.

Apparently I don’t need planning permission to put a gate in the fence but I’m not sure about creating a right of access. The owner before us said he’d tried to put a gate in but for some reason he couldn’t get agreement. We never asked him what he’d done or who he’s spoken to and wish we had.

Any ideas how I do this, who is should be speaking to ( I don’t think it’s Planning) or what bother I could be in if I just go ahead and do it? (I’d rather not as I don’t want to annoy the neighbours!)
 
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Who does the land belong to?

You can find out by searching the Land Registry.

Only use the Gov.uk website

The others are crooks.
 
There is nothing stopping you putting a gate anywhere in your fenceline.
Your entire fence can be made up of gates if you wished.

You need not have a fence at all.

The issue is only one of access, using the land.
If it is occasional access, i.e. rarely then there should be no bother.
Just say it is for emergency use, to enable exiting the garden if there is a fire.
 
Who does the land belong to?

You can find out by searching the Land Registry.

Only use the Gov.uk website

The others are crooks.
Thank you. I don't know who the land belongs to, and as 12 different house back on to it I'm sure how to use the land registry website to find out? Will I have to pay for 12 different title deeds? And what if none of them own it?
 
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There is nothing stopping you putting a gate anywhere in your fenceline.
Your entire fence can be made up of gates if you wished.

You need not have a fence at all.

The issue is only one of access, using the land.
If it is occasional access, i.e. rarely then there should be no bother.
Just say it is for emergency use, to enable exiting the garden if there is a fire.
It will probably be more than occasional access - I want to be able to put our bikes in the shed in the back garden basically. At the minute we have to bring them through the house.
 
Thank you. I don't know who the land belongs to, and as 12 different house back on to it I'm sure how to use the land registry website to find out? Will I have to pay for 12 different title deeds? And what if none of them own it?

if you look at your own house, you should be able to see the open plot on the plan. get a copy of that.

edit

i think you will need "search by map"

it seems to have changed since I last used it


then put in your postcode, reduce the scale of the map, and click on the adjoining plot
 
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I'd it's public land you already have the right to access the land and the gateway
 
I'd it's public land you already have the right to access the land and the gateway
I don’t know if it is, or how to find out. None of the properties that back on to it look like it’s on their title plans, but I don’t know if it’s private.
 
Even if it's private, if there are no signs preventing access or restricting rights of way and there's no barrier, then it's accessible to the public.
 
Just do it, use it.
Only worry about it if someone comes with proof of land ownership complaining about it.
 
clad the gate with the same material as your fence, and use a coat of stain over the lot to blend it in.

this will also reduce the risk of ne'erdowells trying to kick it in

put bolts top and bottom on the inside when it is not in use, as well as a lock
 

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