Neighbour trouble
Some neighbours are friendlier than others.
In the recent case of Bramwell & Anr v Robinson, an equestrian couple who were harassed by a farmer who flouted their right of way across his land, won an injunction and thousands of pounds in damages.
The couple ran an equestrian centre and riding school from their home, which was accessed along a track, most of which crossed the farmer’s land. He had embarked upon a campaign to make their exercise of their right of way as inconvenient as possible. That included erecting three gates along the track, insisting that two of them remain shut at all times, and putting more than a dozen speed bumps in place.
The farmer argued that the couple had made excessive use of the right of way, that the volume of traffic using the track had greatly increased since their arrival in the area and that their visitors, sometimes driving heavy lorries, tended to speed along the track at anti-social hours with loud music blaring.
In ruling on the dispute, a judge concluded that the couple’s right of way was confined largely to the track itself and did not include its verges.
However, he found that the farmer had jumped out at their visitors and behaved aggressively towards them. He had deliberately driven his tractor at very low speed along the track, effectively blocking it, and his insistence that the gates remain permanently shut was an 'example of cussedness'.
In issuing the injunction to prevent further harassment of the couple or their visitors, the judge found that the farmer’s behaviour had been totally unacceptable and unreasonable. He was, amongst other things, ordered to remove all but five of the speed bumps and to keep the gates open, save in emergencies.
He was also ordered to pay the couple £4,800 in damages, primarily to compensate them for the inconvenience, stress and anxiety that he had caused them.
You can read the original article here.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
OpenUSD possibilities: Look before you leap
Being ready for the OpenUSD solutions set to transform architecture and design.
Global Asbestos Awareness Week 2025
Highlighting the continuing threat to trades persons.
The context, schemes, standards, roles and relevance of the Building Safety Act.
Retrofit 25 – What's Stopping Us?
Exhibition Opens at The Building Centre.
Types of work to existing buildings
A simple circular economy wiki breakdown with further links.
A threat to the creativity that makes London special.
How can digital twins boost profitability within construction?
The smart construction dashboard, as-built data and site changes forming an accurate digital twin.
Unlocking surplus public defence land and more to speed up the delivery of housing.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill
An outline of the bill with a mix of reactions on potential impacts from IHBC, CIEEM, CIC, ACE and EIC.
Farnborough College Unveils its Half-house for Sustainable Construction Training.
Spring Statement 2025 with reactions from industry
Confirming previously announced funding, and welfare changes amid adjusted growth forecast.
Scottish Government responds to Grenfell report
As fund for unsafe cladding assessments is launched.
CLC and BSR process map for HRB approvals
One of the initial outputs of their weekly BSR meetings.
Building Safety Levy technical consultation response
Details of the planned levy now due in 2026.
Great British Energy install solar on school and NHS sites
200 schools and 200 NHS sites to get solar systems, as first project of the newly formed government initiative.
600 million for 60,000 more skilled construction workers
Announced by Treasury ahead of the Spring Statement.