Neighbour right of access

[lora]

I am interested in a narrow strip of land maybe 6m wide, like a lot of English terraces they have side access which usually leaves a 1m -ish ally along the buildings. I would plan to add one so that I can use side access. However the land sale and planning permission includes right of access for the neighbour (who I would share this ally with. My question is whats the minimum width I would have to give to this space, would 900-1000mm be enough?

[ToughButterCup]

How wide is a wheelchair? 

There is  a wealth of guidance on accessibility and wheelchairs, one instance is here.

[ProDave]

Up here, an "accessible entrance" needs to be 1 metre wide

 

So that would leave you 5 metres to build on.

[Declan52]

Could you build it so it's an alleyway so you and the neighbour have access to the back but you also gain 1m width upstairs.

[lora]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Up here, an "accessible entrance" needs to be 1 metre wide

 

So that would leave you 5 metres to build on.

 

thank you, thats what I thought it would be

[lora]

57 minutes ago, Declan52 said:

Could you build it so it's an alleyway so you and the neighbour have access to the back but you also gain 1m width upstairs.

it did cross my mind, then I worried about the cost...but maybe it would be worth it....

[PeterW]

Right of access is what is reasonable - not set as a minimum width. 

 

I would measure a wheelie bin and a wheelbarrow - both of which you will be using for your build and once living there ..! 

 

I’d also suggest that your first floor becomes the party wall and you put the alleyway between the two downstairs parts to maximise the usage but also create the minimum you need for sound insulation between the party walls. 

 

You can easily build a decent Timber frame flanking wall and sound structure using cantilevered beams from your own plot to reduce the need to get into lengthy party wall discussions - you will still need a PWA though. 

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

43 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Right of access is what is reasonable - not set as a minimum width. 

 

I would measure a wheelie bin and a wheelbarrow - both of which you will be using for your build and once living there ..! 

 

I’d also suggest that your first floor becomes the party wall and you put the alleyway between the two downstairs parts to maximise the usage but also create the minimum you need for sound insulation between the party walls. 

 

You can easily build a decent Timber frame flanking wall and sound structure using cantilevered beams from your own plot to reduce the need to get into lengthy party wall discussions - you will still need a PWA though. 

 

 

+1 and cantilevered beams mean no need to touch ground or otherwise support the first floor [ over the alleyway ]. Cheap as chips solution. 

Edited February 3, 2018 by Nickfromwales

[Ferdinand]

You will lose things like the depth of drainpipes and posts off the width of your finished accessway.

 

If you are building you want space to put your scaffolding on your land comfortably, or it gets potentially more complicated.

 

Some regulatory things also kick in for widths of under 1m from the boundary.

 

And exact measurements require you to know exactly where the boundary is to make sure the measurements are exactly right. If it is next to the boundary next door can measure where it is with a ruler, so you need to be correct and your measurements defensible.

 

My dad was an architect and on one occasion someone was trying to build the side wall of a bungalow 300mm closer to the bungalow he had built next door than the plans allowed, and as they were close together it was noticeable, and he made them move it. The problem was that they had made their bungalow a little bit too wide for the plot by undermeasuring the plot, then set out starting from the other side and kept it the same size. And in the small space a relatively small error became significant.

 

Personally I would leave about 1.2m to the face of my wall to the boundary even at the risk of a slightly smaller room (build a thinner wall), because getting it wrong can be a real problem.

 

1.2m would be enough for a 1.5 tonne mini digger to get through with a.margin.

[Ferdinand]

I would check the maximum allowed width of a cross country mobility scooter and a tricycle.

Edited February 3, 2018 by Ferdinand

[bassanclan]

I would check the wording in the deeds of your house. It may detail the access more specifically. Alternatively I would measure the width of the existing alley and then take it from there

[Temp]

Deleted this reply as I missunderstand the situation.

Edited February 6, 2018 by Temp