Road adoption
When the council takes over the responsibility for the upkeep of a private street, it is said to adopt the road.
All adopted roads are regularly inspected and maintained. This can include:
- Resurfacing
- Patching
- Grass cutting
- Gully cleaning
- Renewal of road markings
- Weed spraying
- Grip re-cutting
- Sign cleaning
- Lighting
The council, as the highway authority in Barnet, has no obligation to carry out repairs or cleansing on private streets, even though they can be a public right of way.
Existing roads will not normally be adopted unless the private owners bring the road up to current standards of construction, layout and lighting. Many private roads for example, have no footways, kerbs, lighting, surface water sewers, so the highway authority cannot normally consider adopting these roads.
Roads are often adopted following new developments, when newly built roads need to be linked in with the rest of the network.
The developer normally builds the roads and the council adopts them when they are ready.
As highway authority, the council has to ensure they are safe and well-made, so the authority is involved in the planning process specifying standards required and during construction to supervise the highway works.
See also: Road Adoption FAQs
Email this pageLast modified by: Webmaster on 05/05/2006