To ask the Minister for Infrastructure (i) whether her Department plans to adopt Riverside, Doagh, as an approved road; and (ii) to detail any support in place for residents to help repair road defects on unadopted roads.

Riverside, Doagh is a private shared access which was never designed to be a public road. This private lane has never been part of the adopted road network.

In accordance with the Private Streets (NI) Order the department may consider a private street for adoption where:-

the department is of the opinion that the street should become a public road;

a majority of the owners/ occupiers request it: and,

the roads/streets are first brought up to an adoptable standard at the expense of the owners/ occupiers.

I understand that agreement to fund the works to upgrade this private road to departmental standards has not been confirmed by a majority of the residents and that the ownership of the laneway has not been established. As the consent of the landowner is required for the legislative process required for the adoption of the road and the current layout of the private lane does not meet adoptable standards, the department could not consider the lane for adoption.

As with all unadopted private roads, the maintenance of this shared access lane rests with the street owners, usually the frontagers or residents of the street.