We have lived on a council estate for 40 years and bought our house ten years ago. Since a new neighbour moved in a large number of people have begun using the passageway we share with next door as a short cut into the next road, is there any way to stop this?
If the property next door is still owned by the council you should have a word with your neighbour and your local housing office about the problem. The council will not want this to continue because eventually the short cut could become an established right of way. You may well be entitled to fasten either a door or a gate to the passageway and perhaps even lock it as long as you give your neighbour a key.