The Roads
The East Dean Downlands Private Estate has some five miles of private roads and over 200 gulleys and related soakaways. A map showing the Estate roads (coloured blue) is included in the on-line library.
Ownership
Ownership of the roads is a bit of a mixed bag.
A few of the households on the Estate own up to half the width of the road along the frontage of their property but ownership of other parts of the roads fell to the Crown when the original Estate company was dissolved (see History).
Appropriate Land Registry entries should be carefully checked for further details when necessary; the Title Deeds for each property normally delineate land ownership.
The roads are classified as ‘private streets’ meaning they are public highways with public rights of way. However, as the roads are not adopted by the Highways Authority (ESCC), they need to be privately maintained. That is where EDDR comes in; we arrange for the road maintenance, including resurfacing, pothole repairs, and gully and drain clearances.
EDDR does not own any of the roads. It carries out the road maintenance based on annual receipts from residents. It operates in partnership with the Estate residents - it does not have a stated duty to maintain the roads but a right to do so, and an expectation from the residents that it will indeed maintain them.
Resurfacing
The development of the Estate started in the 1930s and the majority of the roads were laid in the years which followed. They were based on concrete. They are now covered by a thin layer of tarmac and as such require maintenance more often than a standard roadway.
Concrete |
Tarmac |
Estate Roads |
life of 40+ years |
life of 40 years but with mid-life resurfacing |
life various, but with resurfacing every 10-15 years |
The Estate roads were not designed for the high volume of vehicles nor the large number of heavy trucks that we see today. This high usage inevitably leads to a higher degree of wear and tear, which potentially could adversely impact the underlying sub-structure.
Resurfacing work consists of planing off the old surface, or part of it, and laying a new surface. Road planing avoids the complete removal of the whole road surface. Instead of time consuming and costly excavation, where possible the road surface is removed using a planing machine, allowing the new surface to be directly overlaid onto the sub layers of the road. This provides a more cost effective and more environmentally aware surfacing solution as an alternative to full reconstruction. Road planing materials are recyclable.
We plan for resurfacing works usually to be undertaken in the summer months.
Potholes
Potholes are formed when cracks develop on the surface of a road due to the tarmac warming up during the day and cooling overnight. Rainwater enters these cracks and when the temperature drops the water may freeze and expand, causing the cracks to swell. With added stress from vehicle traffic, potholes develop and will gradually widen.
We plan for pothole repair work usually to be undertaken in the spring, after the impact of the winter weather.
Drains and Gulleys
These become blocked over time with fallen leaves, silt and debris from the roads. We therefore arrange for them to be inspected and jet cleaned as required on an annual basis. Any necessary repairs are planned to follow the annual inspection report from the contractor.
The acid test for drain clearance efficiency is how quickly any accumulated water dissipates.
We plan for drain and gulley inspections to be undertaken in the autumn, after the leaves have fallen, and for related repairs usually to be undertaken in the summer.
Recent Survey
A professional survey of all the Estate roads has recently been undertaken and this is used, along with reports from residents, to form a short and medium term plan for future road maintenance. Detailed surveys are undertaken approximately every 5 years.
Order of Works
The priority order of fund allocation to road maintenance tends to be based on i) gulley/drain clearance, ii) pothole repairs, iii) gulley/drain repairs, iv) resurfacing (level of activity dependent upon remaining finances).
Open Reach
Owing to the installation of fibre cables on the Estate, we have been in discussions with Open Reach about their planned work schedule. Most cables are being pulled through existing ducting but some need new runs requiring road excavations. Their work on the Estate should be completed during 2024.
Problem with the Roads? - contact us