Removing massive hedge to install turf.

[Phunk]

Several months later, this is where I'm at



New plan is to turn it into a gravel driveway with the entrance being between the lamppost and give-away sign.

Have I missed anything from this list:

Remove section of hedge and demolish wall
Remove path (possibly set base aside to use in drive)
Lay down membrane
75-100mm of Type 1 wacked down
Throw gravel on top
Job jobbed

[Mammasaid]

Permission from council to create entrance?

[rich350z]

Dropped curb?

Edited by rich350z on Monday 1st March 10:03

[Bad Ash]

I assume you'd need to apply for a dropped curb for the drive? From reading other threads on here about them, I gather they don't like granting them near to junctions.

[Muncher]

Mammasaid said:

Permission from council to create entrance?

They might not be too thrilled for a driveway to be placed that close to a junction.

[wax lyrical]

Looks great!

Did you just cut the hedges down to the top of the soil, then dig up the roots with a mattock? I need to get of a couple of hedges in my back garden.

Phunk said:

Several months later, this is where I'm at



New plan is to turn it into a gravel driveway with the entrance being between the lamppost and give-away sign.

Have I missed anything from this list:

Remove section of hedge and demolish wall
Remove path (possibly set base aside to use in drive)
Lay down membrane
75-100mm of Type 1 wacked down
Throw gravel on top
Job jobbed

[blueg33]

C4ME said:

The chance of getting highways permission for a new entrance onto the road at that location is virtually zero surely?

My thoughts too.

[crofty1984]

Phunk said:

New plan is to turn it into a gravel driveway with the entrance being between the lamppost and give-away sign.

Have I missed anything from this list:

Get permission from the council for a dropped kerb and pay them for it.
I hope I'm wrong, but I think you'll struggle to get an entrance there.
You could risk it as a lot of people do, but the proper way is to do as above.

[Phunk]

crofty1984 said:

Phunk said:

New plan is to turn it into a gravel driveway with the entrance being between the lamppost and give-away sign.

Have I missed anything from this list:

Get permission from the council for a dropped kerb and pay them for it.
I hope I'm wrong, but I think you'll struggle to get an entrance there.
You could risk it as a lot of people do, but the proper way is to do as above.

I wouldn’t need a dropped kerb as the kerb is already flush with the road. It’s a relatively quiet road with a car going past around once every 5 minutes.

There’s several similar properties in the area with driveways on junctions.

My fear with asking the council is that they’ll say no then be on their radar.

[hidetheelephants]

Phunk said:

crofty1984 said:

Phunk said:

New plan is to turn it into a gravel driveway with the entrance being between the lamppost and give-away sign.

Have I missed anything from this list:

Get permission from the council for a dropped kerb and pay them for it.
I hope I'm wrong, but I think you'll struggle to get an entrance there.
You could risk it as a lot of people do, but the proper way is to do as above.

I wouldn’t need a dropped kerb as the kerb is already flush with the road. It’s a relatively quiet road with a car going past around once every 5 minutes.

There’s several similar properties in the area with driveways on junctions.

My fear with asking the council is that they’ll say no then be on their radar.

Your council will have guidance available which should indicate whether permission is likely. For example.

Bournemouth Council said:

Near a junction, pedestrian crossing or other road safety measure
If a dropped kerb might affect a junction, pedestrian crossing or other road safety measure (for example, traffic lights), your application is likely to be rejected. Your dropped kerb will need to be at least 10 metres from a junction.

Near a street light or road sign
You won’t be allowed a dropped kerb which is closer than one metre to any “street furniture”, for example, street lights or road signs. You will be required to pay to re-site any street furniture if your application is granted.

[DozyGit]

Can you hazard a guess why they don’t allow people to have an entrance at these junctions.
You can crash into someone coming in or out and for you all it takes is a driving god mistaking your opening for a mild turn at the junction and ploughing through your house and your family when you are fast asleep.

I await to see a car in your house or the council putting bollards to protect its people from themselves

[Ian Geary]

Maybe the dropped kerb could go the other side of the street light, in front of your house?

Your neighbour had a white vehicle in a similar position, though judging by the overhead view, you wouldn't fit a very long car there.

Whilst the drop kerb applications serves other purposes like checking for utilities and strengthening the pavement, I feel the suggested location is too close to the crossroads to be safe.

Submitting (and being refused) an application would cost a couple of hundred quid. Works typically over a grand from the approved contractor list.

If you DIY without permission, I don't think "not" applying for one will make much difference in terms of concealing it from the council.

It will get spotted, probably by a nosey neighbour, maybe by a council highways bod. I doubt a council would check up on refused applications to see if work was done regardless...it's not something I've heard of anyway.


It's a tricky one, as I appreciate the benefit of having a driveway, but just feel it's pushing it a lot there.

[QuickQuack]

You may think that you've escaped the council's attention, only to wake up one morning to find that you can't get to work. Personally, it's not something I would do without the necessary permissions and paperwork.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/its-bloody-r...

https://news.merton.gov.uk/2019/01/21/council-inst...

https://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/2062061.bollard...

[blueg33]

Create an entrance where there could be utilities is risky as they often need lowering or protecting. Example, one of my contractors failed to protect a BT fibre optic when creating a drive access. The bill was £110,000

The dropped kerb application checks for this sort of thing.

[Digger]

Phunk said:

Ah, that'll be the Rhododendrons that I've already shredded and fired in borders around the place - bugger!

There's a hedge (which isn't a Rhododendron) surrounding the property, so we'll keep that along with a couple of larger trees.

This is a overhead view of the property (my bit in red)

Is there anything preventing a dropped kerb & onsite parking top right of the property marked above instead?

[Bad Ash]

Digger said:

Is there anything preventing a dropped kerb & onsite parking top right of the property marked above instead?

I'd have thought the bottom left would be a better position, surely better to be pulling out into a road a little way before a give way junction where people should be slowing down, rather than onto the main(?) road which has priority?

If the drive were to be against the boundary with the neighbour (rather than the current gate which is in the middle) it would maximise the distance from the junction, not sure it'd quite clear 10m though?

[Phunk]

Digger said:

Phunk said:

Ah, that'll be the Rhododendrons that I've already shredded and fired in borders around the place - bugger!

There's a hedge (which isn't a Rhododendron) surrounding the property, so we'll keep that along with a couple of larger trees.

This is a overhead view of the property (my bit in red)

Is there anything preventing a dropped kerb & onsite parking top right of the property marked above instead?

There already is a driveway there but it's extremely tight and on a massive hill, tricky to get an EV charger installed nearby and it segregates our garden in half.

I think I'm going to risk it, I've been around our local neighbourhood and there's plenty of houses who've added driveways in similar/worse circumstances.

[netherfield]

Good hour with this would have sorted it and you'd have enjoyed yourself, them mini things can't hold a candle to it.

[elanfan]

Things you’ve missed:

Planning permission for a double garage!