Extending driveway advice. Planning issue?
Discussion
I currently have a blocked paved driveway and have been parking 1 car on piece of grass next to the driveway for quite a while so I thought it time to extend the driveway to include this area (its about the length of an insignia and about 1.5 times as wide). I instructed a contractor last night to get on with the work (not yet started). Tonight the neighbour from across the road (single track cul de sac) came over to ask if I was thinking of extending the driveway and asking me if I would consider not doing so as he doesn't want to look at driveway from his front room window. I've been parking there for over a year and the grass is now mud and will continue to park there so i'm sure driveway will look better and stop me carting mud around. I'm just checking there are no planning implications that I should know about and he cant complain about it at all?
Thanks
Thanks
Your neighbor doesnt want to look at a drive . Seriously ? That sounds more than a little weird and I would suggest its none of his business. I had the same done to mine 9 years ago, certainly no planning issue then although I think you would need to do something about run off water as you arent allowed to send it down into the drains, I think you'd need a soakaway or some such ?
My drive was a single width of tarmac for 1 car with grass either side and one side sloped down. I had the whole thing levelled and a big concrete sub base put in to make sure nothing would sink then wall to wall burgundy tarmac edged with engineering bricks. Looks a lot better then the old mud and grass and I can park 5 cars on it now.
Having said that I would suggest a call to the council planning department to check as this neighbor sounds like a strange one and he might try to stir up trouble so best to get the answer from the authorities now to rebuff him.
My drive was a single width of tarmac for 1 car with grass either side and one side sloped down. I had the whole thing levelled and a big concrete sub base put in to make sure nothing would sink then wall to wall burgundy tarmac edged with engineering bricks. Looks a lot better then the old mud and grass and I can park 5 cars on it now.
Having said that I would suggest a call to the council planning department to check as this neighbor sounds like a strange one and he might try to stir up trouble so best to get the answer from the authorities now to rebuff him.
As with lots of things it depends
I've not done an application for this but the planning portal calculator is saying the fee will be £172 but it's worth speaking to your local planning office to see if they will just let you get on with it.
planning portal said:
Specific rules apply for householders wanting to pave over their front gardens.
You will not need planning permission if a new or replacement driveway of any size uses permeable (or porous) surfacing which allows water to drain through, such as gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt, or if the rainwater is directed to a lawn or border to drain naturally.
If the surface to be covered is more than five square metres planning permission will be needed for laying traditional, impermeable driveways that do not provide for the water to run to a permeable area.
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/common...You will not need planning permission if a new or replacement driveway of any size uses permeable (or porous) surfacing which allows water to drain through, such as gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt, or if the rainwater is directed to a lawn or border to drain naturally.
If the surface to be covered is more than five square metres planning permission will be needed for laying traditional, impermeable driveways that do not provide for the water to run to a permeable area.
I've not done an application for this but the planning portal calculator is saying the fee will be £172 but it's worth speaking to your local planning office to see if they will just let you get on with it.
s off.Since 2008 you have needed to obtain planning for a driveway in a non permiable material. I don't think block paving is counted as non permiable. So if your neighbour wants to get funny I guess he may make life difficult.
Obviously if you use a permiable material he can't do anything.
http://www.drivewayexpert.co.uk/planning-permissio...
http://www.pavingexpert.com/pdf/pavingfrontgardens...
Obviously if you use a permiable material he can't do anything.
http://www.drivewayexpert.co.uk/planning-permissio...
http://www.pavingexpert.com/pdf/pavingfrontgardens...
Why not use these: https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=opera&q...
Much more attractive than block paving in my view and very durable, especially the concrete type often used in carparks. Once in place and the grass grows through them, they're hardly visible.
Much more attractive than block paving in my view and very durable, especially the concrete type often used in carparks. Once in place and the grass grows through them, they're hardly visible.
aaruck said:
If I need planning permission I guess he can object? Not really sure on his reasoning as I will still park there.
Will speak to contractor in morning seems like easiest solution is to switch to permeable blocks if they can look the same and depending on cost.
Cheers
He can object, yes, as that's his right. However his objection doesn't fall within the planning department's list of reasons to deny your application.Will speak to contractor in morning seems like easiest solution is to switch to permeable blocks if they can look the same and depending on cost.
Cheers
Riley Blue said:
Why not use these: https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=opera&q...
Much more attractive than block paving in my view and very durable, especially the concrete type often used in carparks. Once in place and the grass grows through them, they're hardly visible.
I can confirm this, we went to view a property with a double drive and the vendor said plus you have the hard standing. I couldn't see it at first, then could make out the shape. Impressive and I am sure works great as a parking area whilst keeping the 'lawn look'.Much more attractive than block paving in my view and very durable, especially the concrete type often used in carparks. Once in place and the grass grows through them, they're hardly visible.
There is some good information here on what is permitted without planning permission and what materials are acceptable
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permeab...
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permeab...
aaruck said:
If I don't get planning permission can it be granted retrospectively if the neighbour highlights it to them?
If you do it properly, permiable surface or non permiable with a soak away maybe. If you just block pave as per your existing drive you may be ripping it up again. That said most of the cost in the project is under ther blocks getting a proper base in.aaruck said:
If I don't get planning permission can it be granted retrospectively if the neighbour highlights it to them?
You either need it or you don't. Nothing the neighbour says has any influence - they can't object to a driveway. Or rather, they'll have no valid objection to a driveway.aaruck said:
If I need planning permission I guess he can object? Not really sure on his reasoning as I will still park there.
Will speak to contractor in morning seems like easiest solution is to switch to permeable blocks if they can look the same and depending on cost.
Cheers
I think you'll find that permeable blocks are much more expensive to install because the base has to be excavated to a greater depth and the construction of the underlying base is therefore more expensive. I recently had block paving laid and, yes, you must avoid it draining onto the pathway/road or into the drain; unless the drain feeds a local soak-away. I just made sure that the run-off from mine flowed onto a flower bed and soaked into the ground. If it's a reasonably small area, and yours sounds as though it is, then I don't think there will be any planning issues. That's assuming you are not within a conservation area as that would be another matter completely.Will speak to contractor in morning seems like easiest solution is to switch to permeable blocks if they can look the same and depending on cost.
Cheers
Ignore the neighbour, he has no more right to a view from his front window than he will have to park his car on your brand new, splendidly paved, parking area.
I asked a similar question here a few months ago, though haven't got round to sorting the driveway yet, looking at doing it january/february now, but i got a couple of good replies and some handy links here :
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Medic-one said:
I asked a similar question here a few months ago, though haven't got round to sorting the driveway yet, looking at doing it january/february now, but i got a couple of good replies and some handy links here :
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
This quote from the guidance mentioned in the other thread is the place to start:http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
You will not need planning permission if a new or replacement driveway of any size uses permeable (or porous) surfacing which allows water to drain through, such as gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt, or if the rainwater is directed to a lawn or border to drain naturally.
If the surface to be covered is more than five square metres planning permission will be needed for laying traditional, impermeable driveways that do not provide for the water to run to a permeable area.
So, it seems, that provided you have an area of garden or lawn to act as a run-off, other than onto the road, then you're OK.
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