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Private Roads
Private Roads

What we do

Private Roads Services Ltd ("PRS") provides services to residents' associations and companies responsible for private roads and estates in England and Wales.

We offer our own insurance scheme, a book on the law, extensive online resources for members, and a "starter pack" for residents seeking to form an association or company.

Book and online guide


All members receive a copy of our book, Private Roads:  The Legal Framework.  The current edition is the fourth.  The contents of the book are set out in our Book pages.  Members are entitled to buy further copies, if they wish, at half price.

While Private Roads is available to the public at large, our online guide, Managing Private Roads and Estates ("MPRE" for short) is exclusive to members.  It deals with the practicalities of managing private roads and estates, from the point of view of residents' associations and companies.  In other words, it complements our book, which deals with the law.

The table below summarises the contents of the chapters.  They are available to members, in our members' pages, as pdf (portable document format) files, so members can download them and print them off for their own use, subject to the copyright restrictions set out in our Terms and Conditions.

 

Chapter

Contents

1 - Background

History - Information about private roads - Distribution - Need for management - the law - PRS in action

2 - Organisation

Introduction - Advantages and disadvantages - Company formation - Company administration:  basics; annual return and report; annual accounts; audit - The best of both worlds? - Changing form - Charitable status - Subscriptions - Other forms of income

3 - Information and communication

Introduction - Know your road - Data Protection Act 1998 - Communicating with residents; buyers' solicitors; local government and other bodies

4 - Problems with ownership

Introduction - disadvantages of not owning the road - Acquiring title

5 - Problems with encroachment

Introduction - Private use - Public use - Encroachment by a residents' association

6 - Maintenance

Introduction - Road surfaces - Surface water drains - Subsidence - Trees, shrubs etc - Volunteers - Contractors - Paying for maintenance

7 - Services

Introduction - Road works - Access to private sewers and water mains - Adoption of lateral drains - Surface water drains

8 - Development

Introduction - Influencing planning decisions - Private rights of way and related issues - Restrictive covenants - Granting new rights of way - Dealing with developers - Objectives - Minor planning issues - Other action

9 - Risk management

Introduction - Limited liability companies - Accidents generally - Standards of care - Some specific issues - Warning notices - Other risks - Health and safety issues - Insurance - ATE ("after the event") insurance

Appendix - model letters etc

[Model letters to residents (various issues) - buyer's solicitors - neighbour (permission to use road) - Local authority (alleged highway;  use of powers) - Freedom of Information Act notice]



Last Updated: 15 February 2011


  • PR4

    View sample pages




  • Summary of book

    Preface

    Private roads at a glance

    Table of contents

    1. Overview
    2. Ownership
    3. Highways
    4. Rights of way and other easements
    5. Parking
    6. Civil law
    7. Offences
    8. Planning
    9. Powers of local authorities
    10. Services
    12. Making up and adoption
    13. Organisation

    Table of authorities

    Index