Unadopted and Unloved In Glossop

Entrance to Sunningdale Drive

Across the country hundreds of patches of unclaimed land and un-adopted roads are causing havock. Legally no one knows what to do with them, the councils can't sort out the problem and the residents are having to live with unsightly and dangerous roads and throughfares. Within Glossop there are two battles raging between residents, with the council unable to help

 

The first problem is on Sunningdale drive, with residence complaining that 4 street lamps are not working; when the council was asked for help the residence found they would have to be charged for the repair; as sunningdale drive has yet to be adopted by Derbyshire county council.

Councillor Wharmby

The Chairman of Derbyshire County Council, George Wharmby, stated that unadopted roads  “shouldn’t be automatically taken over by local authority, because it is the responsibility of the owners of the road to bring it up to a useable standard.’’

However the Chairman carries on to say that ‘’Once it’s been brought up to an adoptable standard it will have a life times guarantee of maintenance and will be swept and cleaned”.

 But the Council is stating that it is the builders responsibility to bring it up to adoptable standards that are laid down in legislation when the builders get planning the initial permission. Shadow cabinet member for highways and transport, Jean Wharmby, explains “the road on sunningdale drive hasn’t been brought up to adoptable standards and that’s why they won’t adopt it”.

Jean Wharmby doesn’t believe unadopted roads should be brought up to adoptable standard by public expense because "it would be crippling to the economy if the government brought every unadopted road up to the standard."

But this brings in the question of who owns Sunningdale Drive? Derbyshire County council insist that it is either the residence or the builder that own the drive and it should be sorted out legally between the two.

I spoke to an unnamed resident of Sunningdale Drive that has offered a quote that ‘’while I wants the council to adopt his road, I wouldn’t like to pay for other adopted roads to be taken in without the proper standards’’

Only a mile away from Sunningdale Drive is another land ownership battle has been concluded between the residents of George Street.

Entrance to George Street Wood

A local resident, Mr Rimmer, had declared a ‘land grab’ with the intent to build a mobile home park on the unadopted ‘George Street Wood.’ He had erected a 6 Ft fence around the piece of woodland that is between George Street and the Methodist Church. However angry residents later ripped the fence down.

This ‘land grab’ is completely within the law and the resident has applied to have the unadopted ‘George Street Wood’ registered under his ownership with Derbyshire County Council. However this is only allowed If the land is not used by anyone else for 12 years, after 12 years the deeds will automatically go to the unnamed resident.

To counteract the claim a group of locals banded together under ‘Friends of George Street Wood’ in the belief that the land should be turned into a communal village green with the Derbyshire County Council Registration Authority. They state that they have evidence of the wood’s use as a public thoroughfare to Glossop High Street since the 1940s.

FGSW Chairman Andy Hancock

After High Peak Borough Council received more than 90 letters demanding action the town hall bosses have given a permanent tree preservation order on the area, this will stop anyone from felling without council permission. Ultimately stopping Mr Rimmer from building his trailer park.

Friends of George Street wood (F.G.S.W) Chairman Andy Hancock says that ‘’using the land for private gain is completely at odds with how it is currently enjoyed and George Street wood is a nice thoroughfare into the high street that is used by a lot of people." Mr Rimmer was unavailable to comment.

It seems like we need clearer legislation to ease the tracing of owners or setting up a compulsory purchase.’ Even though there is now a preservation order on the area, the Land Registry has still not produced a claimant and, like sunningdale drive, the land remains un-adopted.

Here's an audio piece I created about the impact of un-adopted land and roads in Glossop Including interviews with Friends of George Street Wood and Councillors George and Jean Wharmby.

 If you have any thoughts, questions or queries feel free to email me here 

Declaration of Interest

Councilors George and Jean Wharmby are related to me and every effort to maintain objectivity has been made to ensure impartiality has not been compromised