Struggling to find anything on the net so thought it is worth asking the STW hive mind 🙂

We want to add french doors onto the end of out kitchen (Victorian terrace, kitchen is where the outbuilding was). There is an easement across the end to allow the neighbour access to the side passage. Does anyone know if there is any issue with us doing this or the easiest way to find out?

We thought about trying to change the easement as there is a side passage on the neighbours other side but an initial quick chat with the solicitor suggests it will be very expensive. The neighbour is happy but they do not have rights to the other side passage which means bringing in another neighbour into the equation. 🙁

Is this actually an easement or just a right of access? An easement is a no build zone whereas a right of acces wouldn’t stop you building an exstension as you as you still provided the access route. Personally I would justfit the french doors, possibly use ones that fold back to the wall so they do not block the access. Or use sliding doors.

Yeah the extension in already there, we basically want to close up the back door which is on the side at the start of the kitchen and instead have french doors opening inwards on the end of the kitchen. the easement is just an access way across the end of the kitchen. I guess I need to find out if I “have” to use some special glass or anything. The builder mentioned possibly having to use special fire glass which costs loads :/

Give a Building Control Consultant a call. Try Butler & Young or HCD.

Or just phone your local building control, they’re very helpful and free.

sounds fine to me. If you’re not blocking the access, then whats the problem? There would be no requirement for Fire rated glass. If you put a sketch on here it would be easier to understand though.

Maybe it’s just me but if I wasn’t blocking the access I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. Don’t get why you’d need fire glass either, do you have windows there already? French doors are just big windows really!!

Without reading the easement I’d go with as long as you don’t block the route then it should be fine. Not sure why your solicitor couldn’t have answered that.

As for fire rated glass. That will depend on the distance between the opening and the boundary and the size of the opening.

Don’t get why you’d need fire glass either,

Presumably theres complicated access to the properties which is why one property required access rights through another. That suggests the routes of escape are restrictive also, so the fire rated glass might be about preserving an escape route.

Cheers for the input guys. Its a standard (for Bham) victorian terrace so 4 buildings with an alley in the middle ( 1 2 | | 3 4).

We live at the 2nd property so have direct access to the alley but property number 1 has access across the back. Is an easement just the right as opposed to a designated area? The title/plans only show our boundary not the designated easement route so I had thought about moving the gate to the bottom of the garden so they don’t pass near the end of the house. 🙂

sorry I’m really struggling to understand that…..but I stand by my previous comments and a quick chat with Building Control(as mentioned by others) will clarify eveything. Give them a call and they will make an appt to see you or just get an email add and send him all your info.

As for fire rated glass. That will depend on the distance between the opening and the boundary and the size of the opening.

Really?……how does fire rated glass work when the doors are open then?

Spoke to building control and they said no specifics with patio doors but will need planning permission unless the builder is FENSA registered.

Thanks again all.

Sounds like – their easement is right of way (access) on foot only, you own the land, they can walk over it. As long as you dont ‘prevent’ their free access across the RoW then its ok, you can certainly step out onto it from a door.

The alley on the other side – looks like many people use it? If so help your neighbour put a gate in his fence and start using it, so long as other neighbour doesnt complainand it is one of many users then give it only 12yrs…

Fire glass? WTFF? Safety (toughened) glass may be prudent if your neighbour has kids etc

planning permission unless the builder is FENSA registered.

Are you sure you dont mean it will need building control sign off if the builder is not fensa registered? I didnt think fensa had anything to do with planning.

but will need planning permission unless the builder is FENSA registered.

The people who supply the doors and probably fit them for the builder will be FENSA registered and they’ll supply you with a certificate.

I assume the idea of fire glass is that if they are escaping their burning building at the same time as you decide to leave the chip pan on after one to many then they can run screaming past your french doors without being burnt by your fire. You won’t have to worry about this as you’ll already be dead. Of course what would be better is that you don’t leave the chip pan on and then you can throw open the doors when you hear them screaming and take them out with the doors and tell them not to leave their bloody chip pan on.

avdave2 that just cracked me up!!! 😀

The more I study the map the more it seems like the neighbour originally accessed the alley on their other side if you note the line across the bottom of their garden. On the other deeds (we downloaded the neighbours too) our house doesn’t have a line across the back like the 2 next to us… if that makes sense.

Just need to convince the neighbour on their other side to allow them access down the other alley and jobs a goodun!

Now… off to get the chip pan on! 😀

If you own the land over which the easement exists, theoretically you can have the doors opening outwards, just the same as you could put gates either end of the easement if you wanted to.
Easement on foot is the right to pass and repass at will opening gates is fine as would shutting your doors if open.
The question is would you really want to have them opening out and how upset would you be if everyone along the alley did the same, an obstacle course of french doors ?
Why not speak to the neighbor ?

It only affects the one neighbour and they are fine with it Dales_rider. I think ideally I would like to get them using the other entry and the plans suggest that was at one time how it was done. I have checked and the house that has the other alley in its boundaries has the alley highlighted as access by foot so it should just be a case of sating that neighbour to allow them to use that access.

There is already a gate either side of the easement as we have 2 young kids so can’t be letting them run free 🙂

for the record:

All glass doors these days are toughened. As are a lot of windows depending on their position

Building Control work on the basis that a fire can only break out in one place at one time.

nice scenario though avdave2! 😀