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We have a large access hatch in our drive (1mx1.5m concrete) which goes deep (3-4m+) down to a drain. I am told (by neighbours who have same) it is the road drain from the street behind us. I travels 100m before our house and seems to be directly under our extension.
The concrete is now failing and needs replacing. Two companies have refused to quote as they say 'it is complicated' and that someone else is responsible (council?)
So, how do I find out what the heck it is and who is repsonsible?
Have you checked with your local water authority? That'd be my first port of call.
Probably the highway authority if it is road drainage
United Utilities or your local equivalent.
Stick your head down there and find out.
Highways. We've got one under ours. Clay pipe. Cracked/collapsed, put thousand of gallons of storm water up into our garden every time it rained hard.
Took 2 years of escalations, "engineering inspections" ineffective half-bodges before we got them to just come in with 20m of 6in twinwall and replace the lot. And that's on top of at least that much before we moved in.
Doing the job properly at first request would have been so much less work and expense for everyone. So frustrating!
It's their pipe to solve their problem. They want the road passable and clear of flood water, they need to maintain the drainage that they put in to keep it that way.
Local county Highways. We've got one under ours. Clay pipe. Cracked/collapsed, put thousand of gallons of storm water up into our garden every time it rained hard.
Took 2 years of escalations, "engineering inspections" ineffective half-bodges before we got them to just come in with 20m of 6in twinwall and replace the lot. And that's on top of at least that much before we moved in.
Doing the job properly at first request would have been so much less work and expense for everyone. So frustrating!
It's their pipe to solve their problem. They want the road passable and clear of flood water, they need to maintain the drainage that they put in to keep it that way.
hmmmm, not what I needed to hear.
According to neighbours who looked in 24 years ago when they moved in, it is 3-4m down and a couple of metres across pipe.
If you are in Yorkshire send me a PM, I can check for you.
Just cos other people have similar pipes under their properties that doesn’t mean yours is the same. There really isn’t any rules or “it is usually xyz” when it comes to older drainage, every case is different.
Blimey. Way bigger than mine! No way that should be any responsibility of yours.
Here's a typical STW thread with some abuse,
some "advice" and some advice.
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/highway-drain-under-my-garden-responsibilities-ownership/
Thanks - just been given an email address for department in Scottish Water who can either help or connect me to council officer responsible for such things....
Took 2 years of escalations, “engineering inspections” ineffective half-bodges before we got them to just come in with 20m of 6in twinwall and replace the lot. And that’s on top of at least that much before we moved in.
Doing the job properly at first request would have been so much less work and expense for everyone. So frustrating!
Thing is, those “bodges” as you call them might have fixed the problem first time. Digging up 20m of pipe work would have phenomenally expensive compared to the no-dig options so it was worth trying them first.
Some useful background on statutory responsibilities in section 1.2 here
My property deeds (or some other legal paperwork) clearly state that anything below ground level is the property of the local authority. I only own the building and/up to the boundary.
All requests from Northumbrian Water, to purchase underground pipes insurance have all been binned