Stopping Roads (road closing)

Stopping of roads (road closing) is the act of closing from the public access to all or part of a legal road. The stopped road then comes under either private ownership or a Council’s ownership. The road stopping process can only be pursued if the section of road is superfluous to access needs and as long as the Council and neighbours agree.

 Road stopping can only occur when the land is a legal road. This includes: 

• the grass berm  

• footpath

• actual road, or

• an unformed road

It could be that no actual road has been formed on the land and that it is grassed or something is illegally built over, for instance a garage or deck.

Most people who wish to stop a road either:

1. Have a structure built in the road reserve (garage, fence, deck or garden).

2.  Own the adjoining properties and wish there to be a continuous property boundary.

3.  Has a short fall in area for a subdividing or building and needs more area.

Normally only the immediate adjoining landowners can apply to stop a road, or has a need to stop the road.

There are two ways of stopping a road, these are stopping a road through the Public Works Act 1981 and the Local Government Act 1974. To find out more information about the stopping of roads, please explore one of the following topics:

1. Stopping Roads through the Public Works Act 1981.

2. Stopping Roads through the Local Government Act 1974

 

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