Throughout the city there are bits of road that are not the council’s responsibility.

These are known as unadopted. This is the case on all new housing estates until the developer has completed the roads and footpaths to current adoptable standards when the council will adopt them as public.

There are other unadopted roads and alleyways that are much older.  These were not made public years ago often for unknown reasons. They are the responsibility of the frontagers – those people whose property faces that bit of highway. The cost of bringing these up to adoptable standards is very expensive. This cost would fall on the frontagers who all need to agree to pay part of the cost and therefore they are never likely to be adopted.

Most unadopted roads are public rights of way.

Adopted roads are nearly always drained, lit and surfaced whereas unadopted ones are unlikely to be drained, lit or surfaced.

The best source for full details of the status of unadopted alleyways that I have seen is from the House of Commons Library.  Please click here to see that report.

The most famous unadopted highway in our area is The Villas but we also have several rear alleyways that are unadopted according to the council.

A list is available from the council.