Membership - why?
Maintenance...
Obviously enough, private roads and estates need physical
maintenance: road surfaces need to be repaired and renewed,
grass verges need to be kept tidy, and shrubs and trees need
attention from time to time. And apart from purely practical
considerations, the amenity of the area needs to be
preserved: the road must be cared for if it is to look
attractive. The need for maintenance brings with it the need for a
residents' association or company, so that residents can take the
necessary action collectively. Furthermore, risks have to be
understood and managed. Private roads and estates are not by nature
particularly risky places, but they often lack the features which
are expected in public roads such as pavements, signs, and
lighting. If an accident occurs, the residents' association or
company may well find itself on the receiving end of a demand for
compensation. Already the management of the road has acquired
a significant degree of complexity and difficulty. But this is far
from being the end of the matter.
...and More
Private roads are shared resources, since they are used by
residents for access and parking. But members of the public often
want to use private roads too, as "rat-runs" and as free car-parks,
especially if they are close to a school, or a station, or shops.
Pressure from developers can bring serious problems in the form of
disturbance, nuisance, and disputes over rights of way. Local
authorities may take an interest in private roads, and seek to
impose their own views about what rights exist and what residents
can and cannot do.
Inaction is unwise. The laws is often complicated and
unpredictable in its effect. Furthermore, it is extremely
creative: illegal encroachment can create a permanent legal right
if it is simply ignored. A proactive approach is therefore
necessary, to anticipate problems, understand how to deal with
conflicting interests and demands, and to keep things under control
in a way which is:
• Friendly
• Flexible
• Firm
To do this effectively a residents' association must have at its
disposal a considerable degree of information and expertise, and a
thorough grasp of the best practical solutions to problems.
PRS membership
Our aim is to provide our members with that expertise.
It's right to stress that the emphasis is on prevention, rather
than cure: in this context, prevention is almost always easier,
quicker and cheaper than cure. And it should be said that a
cure may be unavailable at any price. A public right of way,
for example, may prove impossible to remove once it has been
allowed to arise.
The following pages explain what we offer.
Last Updated: 15 March 2011