Alley-gating

SelfHelpGuideforResidents

Introduction

This pack gives youall the information you need to successfully progress an applicationfor gating an alley.

Q: What information does this pack contain?

Thepack contains thefollowing:

  • whattheCouncil and other agencies willdotohelpyou;
  • what the residents need to do to take the application forward;
  • usefulcontacts;
  • informationabout planning and highways;
  • an outline of thecostsyou are likelytoincur;
  • sample letters, andproject forms.

Q:Are there different types of alley?

Yes. There aretwo types ofalley:

  • private
  • publichighway

Therightsofpeopletopassandre-passoverthelanddependonthetypeofalley.

Sometimes these rights are complex, if in doubtyou mayneed legal advice

These differences mean thatyouwill have tofirst of all identify whether the alleyyou want togate is public highway or private.

Q: HowdoI do that?

MedwayCouncilkeepsrecords,intheformofdigitalisedmaps,showingall thestreets,roadsandalleywaysinMedway, which are designated “highway”. Most are maintainable at public expense, but some are maintained at private expense, meaning they still have highway rights of access over them.

You can check the status of an alleyway, via our website, using the link:-

Once on the website, there will be a list of “map layers” on the right hand side. Click in the box next to “Highways”, then, below that, click on “address search”, add the house number, street and town and hit “search”. A list of matching properties will appear, click on the relevant property, in the list and wait for the map to download.

  • Anything coloured grey is “highway maintained at public expense”.
  • Any alleyways coloured in red are passageways which are “highway maintained at public expense”.
  • Anything coloured in pink hatching is “highway maintained at private expense”

An example is shown below:-

All of the above require the permission of the Highways Section, before alley gating can be considered. Highways will only give permission, where the alleyway is surplus to highway requirements and therefore any alleyway with highways rights over it or is a direct “short cut” or “link” or where the alternative route is longer, are unlikely to be considered. However, each will be judged on its own specific merit.

If you do not have access to the web, please call our Customer Contact Team, on (01634) 333333 and ask for a Highway Search to be logged. They will enter your contact details and the details of the alleyway, on to the system and you will be contacted thereafter for confirmation on the status of the alleyway.

Onceyouhaveidentifiedwhetherthealleyisprivateorpublichighway,youwillneedtofollowtheinstructionssetoutintherestofthisguide.

Theguideisintwoparts:

  • PartA–forpublichighwayalleys
  • PartB–forprivatealleys
Please useeither PartAORPartB

PartA–Publichighway

7StepsToAlley-gating

Youwillhaveseenfromthediagramontheearlierpagethatwehavedefinedsevenstepstopublichighwayalleygating.

Q: Seven?

Yes.Inordertoinstallgatesinapublichighwayalleytherearesevensteps.

Q: What are the steps?

Step1

The‘leadresident’isanimportantperson.

Thesearethetasksthatthe‘leadresident’willhavetocarryout:consultotherresidents;

obtainplanningpermission,whererequired;obtainthepermissionoftheowner(s)oftheland;obtainquotesfromcontractors;

placetheorder;

paythecontractoroncetheworkiscompleted;

sendproofofcompletiontotheCouncil(seelastpage)

YourlocalNeighbourhoodWatchmightbepreparedtoofferassistancewiththesetasks

Forfurtherinformation,pleasecontactErin Scott,MedwayNHWLiaisonOfficeron01634792131,weekdays8amto10pm.

(Thereisananswerphoneforwhentheofficeisunstaffed.)

WehavealsoincludedsomeinformationaboutsettingupaNeighbourhoodWatchschemeinyourarea

YoumaycontactyourwardCouncillorsforadviceorassistanceifthereareissuesyouwanttodiscuss.

Step 2

TheleadresidenthastoconsultwithHighwaysaboutthefeasibilityofwhatisknownas‘stoppingup’.TheHighwaysDepartmentisresponsibleformaintenanceofthepublichighway,andhighwaysofficerswilladvisewhethertheproposalwillsatisfythetestsetdownintheHighwaysAct1980forclosureofthealley

IfHighwayscannotsupporttheclosureofthealley,thentheapplicationcanproceednofurther

TocontactHighways,please write to the principle Engineer, Medway Council, Highways Department, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TR, giving the location of the alleyway.

Step3

TheleadresidentwillnowhavetoconsultwiththewardCouncillorsabouttheproposal.IfyoudonotknowwhoyourwardCouncillorsare,phone01634332732.Theywillbeabletoassist.

YoushouldputyourrequesttotheCouncillorsinwriting,andallow2weeksforareply.Councillorshavewiderangingknowledgeofthearea,andthosegroupswhoarelikelytohaveaninterestinthealleyasusers.ThewardCouncillorsmayhavegroundstoobjecttotheproposal.

Step4

Youhavenowtocarryoutthefollowingtasks:

•consultotherresidents;

•obtainthepermissionoftheowner(s)oftheland.Consultingotherresidents

Wehaveincludedastandardlettertobesenttoallresidentswhouse,orhaveaninterestin,thealley.

Youwillneedtoobtaintheagreementofalltheresidentstotheclosureofthealley

Obtainingthepermissionoftheowner(s)oftheland

Thealleymaybeownedbythepropertiesthathavedirectaccesstoit.Thismaybesetoutinthetitledeeds,togetherwithrightsovertheland.Ifthetitledeedsdonotclarifytheposition,youwillneedtocontacttheLandRegistry.PleasebeawarethattheLandRegistrywillchargeafeeforalandsearch.

ThecontactdetailsfortheLandRegistryareattached.

Step5

TheCouncil’sLegalServicesdepartmentwillapplytotheCourtonyourbehalfforastoppinguporderunders116HighwaysAct1980.

ThisprovidesthatiftheCourtfindsthatahighway:

(a)isunnecessary,or

(b)canbedivertedsoastomakeitnearerormorecommodioustothepublic,i.e.anewpathcanbecreated

theCourtmaybyorderauthoriseittobestoppedupor,asthecasemaybe,tobesodiverted.

YouwillhavetosendtoLegalServicestheconsultationrepliesfromresidentsandtheowner(s)oftheland.LegalServicesarebasedatGunWharf,DockRoad,Chatham,KentME44TR.ContactMelisa Moore on01634332831.LegalServicesmaymakeachargeforthiswork.

YouwillalsoneedtospeaktoHighwaysDepartmenttoconfirmthattheywilldisplaythepublicnoticesthatarerequiredunderthetermsoftheHighwaysAct1980.Phone01634333333andasktobeputthroughtotheHighwaysDepartment.

Giventhenumberofapplicationsmadetothecourt,delaysofuptosixmonthsmaybeexperienced.

Theapplicationmaybechallengedandthecourtmaynotagreetostoppingupthealley.

LegalServiceswillwritetoyoutoadviseyouoftheoutcomeoftheapplication.

Step6

Youmust now obtain competitivequotes, anddesigns, forthegates from contractors, andmakethisinformationavailabletotheresidents.Youmustalsoapplyforplanningpermission,ifrequired.

TheresidentsshouldbegiventheopportunitytoagreeondesignandpriceYoumustrememberthatthegateswillbethesharedpropertyoftheresidents

Decidehowthecostofinstallationandmaintenancewillbesharedamongsttheresidents

Ifresidentswantthegatestobeopenedatcertaintimesoftheday,discussthisandagreewhatthosetimesshouldbe

Youmustnowcollecttheagreedcontributionsfromtheresidents(don’tforgetthecostofaplanningapplication,andclearingthealley),andbankthem.Residentsareentitledtobegivenareceiptforthemoneytheypaytowardthecostofthegates.

Obtainingplanningpermission

TherearetwoMedwayCouncilpublicationsConservationareasinMedway–aguidetothelawandourpolicyandApplyingforPlanningPermissionthatsetoutthebasicrequirements.CopiescanbeobtainedfromPlanningdepartment.

Theseareimportant.Pleaseobtaincopiesandreadthem.

Theerectionofgatesinpublichighwayalleyswillrequireplanningpermission.

Planningpermissionmaytakeeightweekstoobtain,thecurrentapplicationfeeissetoutinthebrochurebutrefertoPlanningtoconfirmthecostofanapplication.Wewillneedtoseeproofthatyouobtainedplanningpermission.

EmergencyaccessforKentFireandRescueService

WehaveaskedKentFireandRescueServiceabouttheirrequirementsforemergencyaccesstoalleys.

Inanemergencythesecuringmechanism,thatisthepadlockorpadlockandchain,mustbeaccessiblesothatitcanbecutorbrokenifneeded.

Ifthemechanismcannotbecutorbrokeninanemergencyalifecouldbeplacedinjeopardy.Itmightbeyours.

Localcontractors

ResidentsmaywishtousetheMedwayFairTraderSchemeinordertohelpselectsuitablecontractors.

TheMedwayFairTraderSchemeisaMedwayTradingStandardsServiceinitiative.Theaimoftheschemeistoimprovebusinessstandardsandincreasecustomerconfidenceinmemberbusinesses.ApprovedbusinesseshaveagreedtoabidebythetermsandconditionsoftheschemeandhavebeencheckedbyTradingStandardstoensurecompliance.

telephone01634333333.

Step7

Thelaststep.Welldone,youwillbybereadytoorderthegates.Askthecontractoryouchoseforanestimatedinstallationdate.Ifrubbishhascollectedinthealley,makearrangementswithacontractorforittobeclearedjustbeforethegatesareinstalled.

Oncethecontractorhasinstalledthegates,youmustmakesurethatresidentshavebeenissuedwithkeys,iftheyareneeded.

Thefinaltasksafter installationofthe gates areto:

•paythe contractor

•fillout andsendoff Project completion form (seelast page ) Pleaserefertotheattached form for details.

Congratulations.

PartB–Private

5 StepsToAlley-gating

Youwillhaveseenfromthediagram ontheearlierpagethatwehavedefinedfive stepstoprivatealley-gating.

Q: Five?

Yes.Inordertoinstallgatesinaprivatealleytherearefivesteps.

Q: What are the steps?

Step1

The‘leadresident’isanimportantperson.

Thesearethetasksthatthe‘leadresident’willhavetocarryout:consultotherresidents;

obtainplanningpermission,whererequired;obtainthepermissionoftheowner(s)oftheland;obtainquotesfromcontractors;

placetheorder;

paythecontractoroncetheworkiscompleted;

sendproofofcompletiontotheCouncil(seelastpage)

YourlocalNeighbourhoodWatchmightbepreparedtoofferassistancewiththesetasks

Forfurtherinformation,pleasecontactErin Scott,MedwayNHWLiaisonOfficeron01634792131,weekdays8amto10pm.

(Thereisananswerphoneforwhentheofficeisunstaffed.)

WehavealsoincludedsomeinformationaboutsettingupaNeighbourhoodWatchschemeinyourarea

Agreeamongyourselveswhowillbetheleadresident

YoumaycontactyourwardCouncillorsforadviceorassistanceifthereareissuesyouwanttodiscuss.

Step2

TheleadresidentwillnowhavetonotifythewardCouncillorsabouttheapplication.YoushouldwritetotheCouncillors,providingbasicdetailsabouttheproposal.IfyoudonotknowwhoyourwardCouncillorsare,phone01634332732.Theywillbeabletoassist.

Step3

Youhavenowtocarryoutthefollowingtasks:

•consultotherresidents

•obtainplanningpermission,whererequired

•obtainthepermissionofalltheowner(s)oftheland.Consultingotherresidents

Wehaveincludedastandardlettertobesenttoallresidentswhouse,orhaveaninterestin,thealley.

Youwillneedtoobtaintheagreementofalltheresidentstotheclosureofthealley.

Youmayalsodecidetodisplaynoticestoletpeopleintheareaknowthatthereisaproposaltoclosethealley,givingthemtheopportunitytocomment.

Obtainingplanningpermission

TherearetwoMedwayCouncilpublicationsConservationareasinMedway–aguideto

thelawandourpolicyandApplyingforPlanningPermissionthatsetoutthebasicrequirements.CopiescanbeobtainedfromPlanningdepartment.

Theseareimportant.Pleaseobtaincopiesandreadthem.

InsomepartsofMedway,theerectionofgatesinprivatealleyswillrequireplanningpermission.

Planningpermissionmaytake8weekstoobtain,thecurrentapplicationfeeissetoutinthebrochure,butrefertoPlanningtoconfirmthecostofanapplication.

Obtainingthepermissionoftheowner(s)oftheland

Thealleymaybeownedbythepropertiesthathavedirectaccesstoit.Thismaybesetoutinthetitledeeds,togetherwithrightsovertheland.Ifthetitledeedsdonotclarifytheposition,youwillneedtocontacttheLandRegistry.PleasebeawarethattheLandRegistrywillchargeafeeforalandsearch.

ThecontactdetailsfortheLandRegistryareattached.

Step4

Youmustnowobtaincompetitivequotes,anddesigns,forthegatesfromcontractors,andmakethisinformationavailabletoalltheresidents.

Theresidentsshouldbegiventheopportunitytoagreeondesignandprice.Youmustrememberthatthegateswillbethesharedpropertyoftheresidents.

Decidehowthecostofinstallationandmaintenancewillbesharedamongsttheresidents.

Ifresidentswantthegatestobeopenedatcertaintimesoftheday,discussthisandagreewhatthosetimesshouldbe.

Youmustnowcollecttheagreedcontributionsfromtheresidents(don’tforgetthecostofanyplanningapplication,andclearingthealley),andbankthem.Residentsareentitledtobegivenareceiptforthemoneytheypaytowardthecostofthegates.

EmergencyaccessforKentFireandRescueService

WehaveaskedKentFireandRescueServiceabouttheirrequirementsforemergencyaccesstoalleys.

Inanemergencythesecuringmechanism,thatisthepadlockorpadlockandchain,mustbeaccessiblesothatitcanbecutorbrokenifneeded.

Ifthemechanismcannotbecutorbrokeninanemergencyalifecouldbeplacedinjeopardy.Itmightbeyours.

Localcontractors

ResidentsmaywishtousetheMedwayFairTraderSchemeinordertohelpselectsuitablecontractors.

TheMedwayFairTraderSchemeisaMedwayTradingStandardsServiceinitiative.Theaimoftheschemeistoimprovebusinessstandardsandincreasecustomerconfidenceinmemberbusinesses.ApprovedbusinesseshaveagreedtoabidebythetermsandconditionsoftheschemeandhavebeencheckedbyTradingStandardstoensurecompliance.

telephone01634333333.

Step5

Thelaststep!Welldone,youwillbybereadytoorderthegates.Askthecontractoryouchoseforanestimatedinstallationdate.Ifrubbishhascollectedinthealley,makearrangementswithacontractorforittobeclearedjustbeforethegatesareinstalled.

Oncethecontractorhasinstalledthegates,youmustmakesurethatresidentshavebeenissuedwithkeys,iftheyareneeded.

Thefinaltasksafterinstallationofthegatesareto:

•paythecontractor

•filloutandsendoffProjectcompletionform(seelastpage)Pleaserefertotheattachedformfordetails.

Congratulations.

MedwayNeighbourhoodWatchScheme

TakenfrominformationsuppliedbyMedwayNeighbourhoodWatch

HowtosetupaNeighbourhoodWatchScheme

1.Decideonthegeographicalareayouwishyourschemetocover,forexampleastreet,orpartofacul-de-sac,orasmallstate.

2.Canvassallhouseholdsinthearea,invitingtheirparticipation.Donotbediscouragedbyapparentlackofinterest.Ifyouhavedifficultyinmakingcontact,postandenquirythroughtheirdoor,accompaniedbyaletterintroducingyourself,tobereturnedbyacertaindate.Persevere!Itmaybepossibletobringreluctanthouseholdsintotheschemeatalaterdate.

3.Whenyouhaveagoodresponse,preferablyaround60%,contacttheNeighbourhoodWatchLiaisonOfficerandarrangeameetingatavenueofyourchoice,invitingallparticipatinghouseholds.

4.YouwillneedtoappointaCo-OrdinatorandDeputyCo-OrdinatortoruntheschemeandtobethecontactpointbetweenyourselvesandthePolice.Thisismostimportant,andtheyshouldbeidentifiedbeforetheinitialmeeting.Iftheareaisfairlylarge,sayinexcessof40households,thentheCo-OrdinatorandDeputywillrequireextrahelpintheformofStreetCo-Ordinators.Theidealwouldbeforeachgroupofupto20householdstohaveitsownStreetCo-Ordinatortoassistwiththecollectionanddistributionofinformation.

5.Atthemeeting,theNeighbourhoodWatchLiaisonOfficerwillexplainhowNeighbourhoodWatchworks,howitisorganised,andtheroleofthePolice.He/shewillalsodiscusshomesecurity.TherewillbeamplesupplyofleafletsandstickerscoveringbothNeighbourhoodWatchandgeneralsecurity.

6.ItmaybethattheareawhereyouliveadjoinsorisclosetoanareathatalreadyhasanactiveNeighbourhoodWatchscheme,inwhichcasewemayliaisewiththatCoordinatorwithaviewofputtingyouintouchwitheachother.

Forfurtherinformation,pleasecontactErin Scott,MedwayNHWLiaisonOfficeron01634792131,weekdays8amto10pm.

(Thereisananswerphoneforwhentheofficeisunstaffed.)

MedwayCouncil

CommunityWardens,CommunitySafetyTelephone01634333333

PlanningService,DevelopmentControl(PlanningDepartment)Telephone01634331700/01

MedwayNeighbourhood Watch

Erin Scott

MedwayNHWLiaisonOfficerMedwayPoliceStationPurserWay

GillinghamKentME71NE

Telephone:01634792131

Email:

MedwayPolice Crime Reduction Unit

Contact101tospeaktoyourlocalNeighbourhoodPolicingUnit

Land Registry

TheLandRegistrywebaddressis

LandRegistry,NottinghamOffice,ChalfontDrive,Nottingham,NG83RN.Telephone01159351166

Sampleconsultationlettertoresidents.

DearNeighbour

ALLEY-GATING

Iamactingonbehalfofthelocalcommunitytoinstallsecuritygatesinthealleyadjacenttoourhomes.IhavereceivedaninformationpackfromMedwayCouncilandIampreparedtocarryouttheworkrequiredtoco-ordinatetheinstallationofthegates.

ThegatingofalleywaysinMedwayandelsewhereinthecountryhasbeenproventosignificantlyreducethelikelihoodofburglaryandothercrimes.Asresidents,wewillretainthefulluseofthealleyway,butnooneelsehaslawfuluse.

TheCouncilwillonlysupportourrequestifalltheresidentsareinfavour.Ihavetoconsultwithyoutogainyouragreement.Pleasereturntheattachedformtomewithin30daysofreceiptofthisletter.

Ifweinstallthegatesthentheresponsibilityformaintenanceandrepairwillbeoursandthegateswillbeoursharedproperty.IfweareallinfavourIwillthenaskthreelocalcontractorstosupplyquotes.Wehavetopaythecontractorandwillalsohavetopaysomeothercosts.

Ifyouarepreparedtohelpmewiththeprojectpleasegetintouch.Iencloseaplanforthelocationofthegates.

Yoursfaithfully

ProposeClosureofAlleywayAlley-gating

SelfHelpScheme

Name
Address
Phone
Yes / No
I support the gating of the alley adjacent to my home**
I ownthelandandgiveconsentforgating
I ampreparedtohelpwiththisproject
I ampreparedtopaytowardsthecostofgating

**Ifyoudonotowntheproperty,pleaseadvisethe ownerofthecontentsofthis letter as soonas possible.

ProjectCompletionForm

Alley-gatingSelfHelpProject

SchemeLocation:

LeadResident:Phone

Action / Date / Initial / EstimatedTimescale
AgreementofCouncillors(ifapplicable) / 2 Weeks
PlanningPermission / 8 Weeks
Quotes from three contractors / 2 Weeks
Agreementoncostsharing / 2 Weeks
Contributionscollected / 2 Weeks
Courtorder(ifapplicable) / 6 Months
Gatesordered
Payment made to contractor

Dateofinstallation://

Pleasesendthiscompletedform(withinonemonthofinstallation)and a sketchmapto:

Roger Emmerson

Alley Gating Officer

Medway Council

Safer Communities Team

Gun Wharf

Dock Road

Chatham

Kent

ME4 4TR

Or email to: