Front garden -- driveway. Need planning permission ?
Discussion
So the wife is looking at getting a smart car, and with no room on the drive, in the garage or on our busy road we're looking at transforming the little grass patch at the front of the house into a driveway.
It currently looks like this :
There's a row of townhouses who are all the same, and quite a few of the neighbours have already changed that grass into either loose stones or paving :
We don't really like the idea of the loose stones and the paving slabs look ok, but they still have a bit of mud/plants and not removed the wall (we're gonna take part of the wall down, so the smart can get on the drive easier).
I've been googling front gardens to driveway and it comes up with a lot of different stories, with some saying you do need planning permission, and some say you don't, and then there's the whole "the surface must be permeable" and be able to get rid of water etc.
However, the end townhouse has just got a full driveway :
And several other houses and flats (different build) up the road have also put in driveways, with this one being a recent one :
So would i need planning permission for my little patch of grass (2.5 meter x 2.9 meter) or can i just have a little bit of tarmac put in without worries?
It currently looks like this :
There's a row of townhouses who are all the same, and quite a few of the neighbours have already changed that grass into either loose stones or paving :
We don't really like the idea of the loose stones and the paving slabs look ok, but they still have a bit of mud/plants and not removed the wall (we're gonna take part of the wall down, so the smart can get on the drive easier).
I've been googling front gardens to driveway and it comes up with a lot of different stories, with some saying you do need planning permission, and some say you don't, and then there's the whole "the surface must be permeable" and be able to get rid of water etc.
However, the end townhouse has just got a full driveway :
And several other houses and flats (different build) up the road have also put in driveways, with this one being a recent one :
So would i need planning permission for my little patch of grass (2.5 meter x 2.9 meter) or can i just have a little bit of tarmac put in without worries?
Edited by Medic-one on Friday 3rd July 10:03
esxste said:
I've been looking into driveways, so I have a little knowledge, but I'll happily make way to the experts 
To do it properly, you'll need to contact your County Council (or similar authority) to get the dropped kerb extended.
If you live on a classified road, or you want to use a non-permeable material to create the drive you will want to contact your local council for planning gudiance. (A, B or C road, though as you already have a driveway, this might not be necessary)
If you use a permeable material to create the drive, and you live on an unclassified road, you don't need planning permission from the local council.
Legally you aren't allowed to drive on the footpath. If your car uses a vehicle crossing, it must drive directly over the footpath, and never along it.
HTH
Thanks for the reply.To do it properly, you'll need to contact your County Council (or similar authority) to get the dropped kerb extended.
If you live on a classified road, or you want to use a non-permeable material to create the drive you will want to contact your local council for planning gudiance. (A, B or C road, though as you already have a driveway, this might not be necessary)
If you use a permeable material to create the drive, and you live on an unclassified road, you don't need planning permission from the local council.
Legally you aren't allowed to drive on the footpath. If your car uses a vehicle crossing, it must drive directly over the footpath, and never along it.
HTH
How do i find out if my road is a classified road (not sure what that means), it's a small one way road and not a main through road if that helps ?
I don't think i'd need to extend the dropped kerb to get a smart on/of an extended driveway as there's plently of room. In the first picture i'm parked over to the left, but if i park more central on my drive and a bit further back there's plenty of room without having to drive along the footpath :
CaptainMorgan said:
www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonproject...
It's all on there, basically if it's of 5 square meters you need planning if the surface is non permeable
Cheers.It's all on there, basically if it's of 5 square meters you need planning if the surface is non permeable
Also just saw on there "Also note that these rules only cover your front garden. Any other work such as fences, walls and gates or a dropped kerb may require planning permission."
Surely taking a little bit of that wall down wouldn't require planning permission as well would it ? I'd rather use permable stuff and avoid the whole planning permission hoo-haa if i can.
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