Front Garden Driveways and Off-Street Parking for London Victorian Terraces: Planning, Materials, and Dropped Kerbs

THE PLANNING POSITION FOR A FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY ON A LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY MISUNDERSTOOD ASPECTS OF HOME IMPROVEMENT PLANNING IN LONDON — PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO THE PERMEABLE SURFACE RULE INTRODUCED IN 2008 AND THE CONSERVATION AREA IMPLICATIONS.

NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY — TCPA 1990 AND THE GENERAL PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT ORDER (GPDO 2015) — RESIDENTIAL HARDSTANDING: SINCE OCTOBER 2008 (WHEN THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (GENERAL PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT) (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) ENGLAND ORDER 2008 CAME INTO FORCE): PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT (NO PLANNING PERMISSION REQUIRED) FOR HARDSTANDING IN A FRONT GARDEN EXISTS ONLY WHERE: THE TOTAL AREA OF HARDSTANDING IN THE FRONT GARDEN DOES NOT EXCEED 5M² — A 5M² ALLOWANCE IS PERMITTED REGARDLESS OF SURFACE MATERIAL (PERMEABLE OR NOT). WHERE THE AREA EXCEEDS 5M² (WHICH IS VIRTUALLY ALL DRIVEWAYS): THE SURFACE MUST BE PERMEABLE (POROUS ASPHALT, POROUS BLOCK PAVING, GRAVEL, COBBLES, RESIN-BOUND AGGREGATE — ANY MATERIAL THAT ALLOWS WATER TO PASS THROUGH TO THE GROUND BELOW) OR WATER MUST BE DIRECTED TO A LAWN OR PERMEABLE AREA ADJACENT TO THE HARDSTANDING (NOT TO THE HIGHWAY DRAINAGE SYSTEM).

CONSERVATION AREAS — FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAYS: IN LONDON CONSERVATION AREAS, ARTICLE 4 DIRECTIONS COMMONLY RESTRICT PD RIGHTS FOR FRONT GARDEN WORKS — INCLUDING HARDSTANDING. IN MANY LONDON CONSERVATION AREAS: A FULL HOUSEHOLDER PLANNING APPLICATION IS REQUIRED TO INSTALL A FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY, REGARDLESS OF THE SURFACE MATERIAL. CONSERVATION OFFICER POSITION: CONSERVATION OFFICERS AT LONDON BOROUGHS TYPICALLY RESIST: LARGE-AREA HARDSTANDING THAT ELIMINATES ALL GREEN FRONT GARDEN ELEMENTS (TREES, HEDGES, PLANTED BEDS). RAISED KERB OR EDGING DETAILS THAT DISRUPT THE STREET-SCENE PATTERN. MATERIALS THAT ARE VISUALLY INCONGRUOUS WITH THE PERIOD CHARACTER (E.G. PLAIN GREY TARMAC IN A CONSERVATION AREA WHERE NATURAL STONE, BRICK, OR PERIOD-APPROPRIATE PAVING IS THE CONSERVATION GUIDANCE).

OFFICER EXPECTATIONS FOR CONSERVATION AREA FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAYS IN LONDON: MINIMUM RETAINED GREEN AREA (SOME LONDON BOROUGH CONSERVATION AREA SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENTS SPECIFY A MINIMUM 50% GREEN RETENTION FOR FRONT GARDENS — MEANING A MAXIMUM 50% HARDSTANDING). TREE PROTECTION: ANY TREE IN THE FRONT GARDEN WITHIN A CONSERVATION AREA REQUIRES A 6-WEEK PRIOR NOTIFICATION BEFORE REMOVAL — AND REMOVAL OF A SIGNIFICANT STREET TREE IN A CONSERVATION AREA FRONT GARDEN WILL LIKELY BE REFUSED.

BEFORE A VEHICLE CAN ACCESS A FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY FROM THE PUBLIC HIGHWAY, A DROPPED KERB (VEHICLE CROSSOVER) MUST BE CONSTRUCTED BY THE HIGHWAYS AUTHORITY OR THEIR APPROVED CONTRACTOR — THIS IS A HIGHWAYS APPLICATION SEPARATE FROM AND IN ADDITION TO ANY PLANNING APPLICATION.

LONDON BOROUGH HIGHWAYS APPLICATION FOR A DROPPED KERB: THE VEHICLE CROSSOVER APPLICATION IN LONDON IS MADE TO THE LONDON BOROUGH (AS THE LOCAL HIGHWAY AUTHORITY FOR MOST LONDON RESIDENTIAL STREETS — EXCEPT FOR SOME PRINCIPAL ROADS MANAGED BY TFL). APPLICATION REQUIRES: FULL PROPERTY ADDRESS AND PROPOSED CROSSING LOCATION. PLAN SHOWING THE PROPOSED DRIVEWAY AND CROSSING POINT. SATISFACTORY VISIBILITY SPLAYS (THE REQUIRED FORWARD VISIBILITY FROM THE PROPOSED CROSSING POINT — TYPICALLY 2M X 43M FOR A RESIDENTIAL STREET WITH 30MPH SPEED LIMIT — L&Q DESIGN GUIDE AND DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT TA/41). CONFIRMATION THAT THE PROPOSED DRIVEWAY SURFACE IS PERMEABLE (IF OVER 5M²).

COMMON REASONS FOR DROPPED KERB REFUSAL IN LONDON: HIGHWAYS CONFLICTS: THE PROPOSED CROSSING WOULD REQUIRE REMOVAL OF A HIGHWAY TREE (PROTECTED AND MANAGED BY THE BOROUGH HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT). THE PROPOSED CROSSING FALLS WITHIN 10M OF A ROAD JUNCTION (AN ENFORCED RESTRICTION AT MOST LONDON BOROUGHS — PROXIMITY TO JUNCTION IMPAIRS VISIBILITY AND CREATES CONFLICT WITH PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLES TURNING). THE PROPOSED CROSSING FALLS WITHIN 15M OF A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING. THE PROPOSED STREET HAS A DOUBLE YELLOW LINE RESTRICTION THAT CONFLICTS WITH THE PROPOSED CROSSOVER LOCATION.

DROPPED KERB CONSTRUCTION (LONDON BOROUGH APPROVED CONTRACTOR): THE DROPPED KERB IS CONSTRUCTED BY AN APPROVED HIGHWAYS CONTRACTOR (NOMINATED BY THE LONDON BOROUGH — NOT A GENERIC LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR). TYPICAL SPECIFICATION: REMOVAL OF EXISTING FULL-HEIGHT GRANITE SETT KERB OR CONCRETE KERB. INSTALLATION OF BULL-NOSED OR CHAMFERED DROPPED KERB UNITS (PRECAST CONCRETE — 125MM HEIGHT X 255MM WIDTH — TO BS EN 1340:2003): LAYDEX OR MARSHALLS PRECAST CONCRETE DROPPED KERB UNITS. REINSTATEMENT OF FOOTPATH SURFACE ACROSS THE CROSSOVER AREA (LONDON BOROUGHS TYPICALLY SPECIFY BLOCK PAVING OR EQUIVALENT THAT MATCHES THE EXISTING FOOTWAY SURFACE).

COST OF DROPPED KERB IN LONDON: £800 TO £1,800 FOR A STANDARD SINGLE-VEHICLE CROSSOVER (INCLUDING BOROUGH ADMINISTRATION FEE OF £200-£400 PLUS HIGHWAYS CONTRACTOR COST). APPROVAL TIMELINE: 6 TO 14 WEEKS FROM APPLICATION TO CONSTRUCTION.

FOR FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAYS IN LONDON THAT EXCEED 5M² (VIRTUALLY ALL DRIVEWAYS), THE SURFACE MUST BE PERMEABLE TO COMPLY WITH THE 2008 GPDO AMENDMENT AND TO SATISFY LONDON BOROUGH CONSERVATION AREA GUIDANCE. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE PRINCIPAL PERMEABLE SURFACE OPTIONS:

REsin-BOUND AGGREGATE (THE MOST POPULAR HIGH-SPECIFICATION PERMEABLE DRIVEWAY SURFACE FOR LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACES): RESIN-BOUND AGGREGATE (ALSO CALLED RESIN-BONDED AGGREGATE OR BOUND GRAVEL) IS A MIXTURE OF NATURAL STONE AGGREGATE (6-10MM GRADED) AND A TWO-PART POLYURETHANE RESIN — MIXED ON SITE AND LAID AS A 15-18MM LAYER OVER A PREPARED SUB-BASE. THE BOUND RESIN CREATES A SMOOTH, HARD-WEARING SURFACE WITH AN OPEN-PORE STRUCTURE THAT ALLOWS WATER TO DRAIN THROUGH. SURRESET (UK MARKET LEADER — SURREY — SUPPLIED AND INSTALLED THROUGH APPROVED INSTALLERS): SURRESET RESIN BOUND USING BREEDON GOLDEN AMBER (6MM NATURAL GRAVEL — GOLDEN-BROWN) OR SURESET DRIVEWAY MIX (BLENDED 3-6MM AGGREGATE — AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE COLOUR OPTIONS): APPROXIMATELY £60-90 PER M² INSTALLED (BY APPROVED SURESET INSTALLER). ADDAGRIP TERRAPAVE (ADDAGRIP SURFACE TREATMENTS — EAST SUSSEX): SIMILAR PRODUCT TO SURESET — APPROVED INSTALLER NETWORK — APPROXIMATELY £55-85 PER M² INSTALLED.

BLOCK PAVING (PERMEABLE INTER-LOCKING CONCRETE BLOCK PAVING — PICP): MARSHALLS PRIORA PERMEABLE BLOCK PAVING (60MM THICK CONCRETE BLOCKS WITH 5-8MM CHAMFERED JOINTS FILLED WITH 4MM ANGULAR GRAVEL — ALLOWS RAINFALL TO PERCOLATE THROUGH THE JOINTS INTO THE OPEN-GRADED SUB-BASE BELOW): £40 TO £65 PER M² INSTALLED. MARSHALLS DRIVELINE TEGULA (STANDARD NON-PERMEABLE 60MM BLOCK PAVING — NOT PERMITTED AS A FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY SURFACE OVER 5M² UNLESS DRAINAGE IS DIRECTED TO PERMEABLE AREA). BRETT ALPHA FLOW (PERMEABLE CONCRETE BLOCK — BRETT LANDSCAPING — ALTERNATIVE TO MARSHALLS PRIORA): APPROXIMATELY £40 TO £70 PER M² INSTALLED.

PORUS ASPHALT (POROUS TARMACADAM): SPECIALLY FORMULATED OPEN-GRADED ASPHALT (UNLIKE STANDARD TARMAC WHICH IS IMPERMEABLE): BALFOUR BEATTY OR TARMAC POROUS ASPHALT (10MM AGGREGATE SIZE — OPEN VOID STRUCTURE ALLOWING WATER INFILTRATION — APPROXIMATELY 20% VOID CONTENT): £30 TO £55 PER M² INSTALLED FOR A LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY.

GRAVEL (LOOSE GRAVEL OR BOUND GRAVEL MESH SYSTEM): LOOSE GRAVEL (COTSWOLD PEARL OR GOLDEN FLINT 10-20MM CLEAN ANGULAR GRAVEL): THE SIMPLEST PERMEABLE OPTION — PERMEABLE BY NATURE, LOW COST — BUT PRONE TO DISPLACEMENT, WEED GROWTH, AND TRACKING GRIT INTO THE HOUSE. NOT APPROPRIATE IN CONSERVATION AREAS WHERE DISPLACEMENT WOULD AFFECT THE FOOTWAY. GEOGRID-STABILISED GRAVEL (TERRAM BODPAVE OR GRAVELPAVE PLUS — PLASTIC CELLULAR GRID FILLED WITH GRAVEL — PREVENTS DISPLACEMENT AND ALLOWS VEHICLE LOADING WITHOUT RUTTING): £20 TO £40 PER M² INSTALLED.

THE SUB-BASE IS THE STRUCTURAL FOUNDATION OF A FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY — AND IN LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE FRONT GARDENS, WHICH TYPICALLY HAVE LONDON CLAY SUB-SOILS (HIGHLY EXPANSIVE — SWELLS WHEN WET, SHRINKS WHEN DRY, WITH SHRINKAGE EXACERBATED BY TREE ROOTS IN A DROUGHT), THE SUB-BASE DESIGN IS CRITICAL TO LONG-TERM DRIVEWAY PERFORMANCE.

STANDARD SUB-BASE FOR A LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY (LIGHT VEHICLE — SINGLE CAR): TOPSOIL EXCAVATION AND REMOVAL: TYPICALLY 200-400MM OF TOPSOIL AND MADE GROUND (LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE FRONT GARDENS OFTEN HAVE VARIABLE DEPTHS OF MADE GROUND INCLUDING DEMOLITION RUBBLE, OLD BRICKWORK, Victorian FILL — ALL MUST BE REMOVED TO FIRM CLAY SUBGRADE). GEOTEXTILE (TERRAM 1000 NON-WOVEN GEOTEXTILE — LAID ON PREPARED SUBGRADE — PREVENTS CLAY MIGRATION INTO THE GRANULAR LAYER). TYPE 1 COMPACTED GRANULAR SUB-BASE (CRUSHED CONCRETE OR CRUSHED LIMESTONE — MOT TYPE 1 — BS EN 13285): 150MM COMPACTED DEPTH MINIMUM FOR SINGLE VEHICLE LOADS — 200MM FOR HEAVIER OR FREQUENT TRAFFIC. TARMAC OR AGGREGATE INDUSTRIES READYMIX TYPE 1 SUPPLIED LOOSE AND COMPACTED ON SITE IN 75MM LIFTS WITH A WACKER PLATE COMPACTOR.

PERMEABLE SUB-BASE FOR COMPLIANT PERMEABLE DRIVEWAYS: FOR A GENUINELY PERMEABLE DRIVEWAY (NOT JUST A PERMEABLE SURFACE OVER AN IMPERMEABLE SUB-BASE), THE SUB-BASE ITSELF MUST ALLOW WATER TO DRAIN INTO THE GROUND BELOW. THIS REQUIRES: OPEN-GRADED (NO-FINES) SUB-BASE (BS EN 13285 — NO-FINES CRUSHED LIMESTONE OR GRANITE — TYPICALLY 20-40MM ANGULAR STONE — 30% VOID CONTENT — ALLOWS WATER STORAGE AND INFILTRATION): TARMAC TOPBASE 20MM NO-FINES OR HANSON DRAINAGE STONE 20MM. 150-250MM COMPACTED DEPTH OF NO-FINES SUB-BASE ON TERRAM 700 NON-WOVEN GEOTEXTILE. NOTE: IN LONDON CLAY SOILS, DRAINAGE INTO THE SUBGRADE IS SLOW — A PERMEABLE SUB-BASE ACTS AS A SOAKAWAY ATTENUATION LAYER, RELEASING WATER SLOWLY — WHICH IS THE SUDS (SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE) PRINCIPLE REQUIRED FOR FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAYS.

IN LONDON CONSERVATION AREAS, THE DESIGN OF A FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY MUST BE PARTICULARLY THOUGHTFUL — BOTH TO SATISFY THE PLANNING AUTHORITY AND TO ENSURE THE RESULT COMPLEMENTS RATHER THAN DETRACTS FROM THE CHARACTER OF THE STREET.

CONSERVATION AREA DESIGN GUIDANCE FOR FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAYS IN LONDON: MATERIALS: AVOID PLAIN GREY TARMAC OR MODERN BLOCK PAVING STYLES THAT LOOK INCONGRUOUS WITH A VICTORIAN TERRACE FRONTAGE. PREFERRED MATERIALS FOR CONSERVATION AREAS (ACCEPTED BY MOST LONDON BOROUGH CONSERVATION OFFICERS): RESIN-BOUND AGGREGATE (BREEDON GOLDEN AMBER OR SIMILAR NATURAL STONE AGGREGATE — WARM COLOUR THAT READS AS GRAVEL FROM A DISTANCE — PERIOD-SYMPATHETIC). CLAY BRICK PAVIOURS (WIENERBERGER TERCA RUSTIC BRICK PAVIOURS OR IBSTOCK NEWTON HEATH ANTIQUE RUSSET — MATCHING THE EXISTING FRONT GARDEN BOUNDARY MATERIAL OR THE HOUSE BRICKWORK). GRANITE SETT BLOCK PAVING (RECLAIMED GRANITE SETT — MATCHING OR COMPLEMENTING THE EXISTING STREET OR FOOTPATH MATERIALS — OFTEN SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED IN LONDON CONSERVATION AREA DESIGN GUIDES — AVAILABLE FROM LASSCO OR SALVO SALVAGE YARDS): PERMEABLE IF LAID ON NO-FINES SUB-BASE WITH OPEN JOINTS. COBBLE SURFACE ON NO-FINES SUB-BASE (SMALLER COBBLES — PERMEABLE).

PLANTING RETENTION AND GREEN SPACE: A LONDON CONSERVATION AREA FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY SHOULD RETAIN PLANTED GREEN SPACE: KEEP OR REINSTATE A PLANTED BED (MINIMUM 500MM WIDTH) ALONG THE BOUNDARY WALLS AND AROUND THE GATE PIERS. RETAIN EXISTING MATURE TREES (TREE REMOVAL IN A CONSERVATION AREA REQUIRES 6-WEEK PRIOR NOTIFICATION TO THE LONDON BOROUGH — REMOVAL OF A MATURE FRONT GARDEN TREE IS LIKELY TO BE RESISTED). CONSIDER LOW-GROWING PLANTED BORDERS (LAVENDER, DWARF BOX HEDGING, EUONYMUS) THAT SOFTEN THE DRIVEWAY EDGES AND MAINTAIN THE GREENED STREET CHARACTER.

FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY COSTS IN LONDON INCLUDE: DROPPED KERB APPLICATION AND CONSTRUCTION, SUB-BASE PREPARATION, AND SURFACING — AND VARY FROM APPROXIMATELY £3,000 TO £12,000+ FOR A TYPICAL LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY.

DROPPED KERB APPLICATION AND CONSTRUCTION (LONDON BOROUGH): BOROUGH ADMINISTRATION FEE: £200 TO £400. HIGHWAYS CONTRACTOR (APPROVED BY BOROUGH — DROP KERB UNIT, REINSTATE FOOTWAY): £600 TO £1,400. TOTAL DROPPED KERB: £800 TO £1,800.

EXCAVATION AND SUB-BASE PREPARATION (TYPICAL LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE FRONT GARDEN — 20-30M² TOTAL AREA): BREAK OUT AND REMOVE EXISTING CONCRETE OR SURFACE (IF PRESENT — SKIP HIRE £250-350): £300 TO £600. EXCAVATION OF TOPSOIL/MADE GROUND (200-300MM DEPTH — MINI-DIGGER 1 TONNE — 1 DAY): £300 TO £500. DISPOSE OF EXCAVATED MATERIAL (SKIP HIRE — 8 YARD SKIP): £250 TO £400. TERRAM 1000 GEOTEXTILE: £50 TO £100. TYPE 1 MOT SUB-BASE (150-200MM COMPACTED — 20-30M²): £400 TO £800 (SUPPLY AND COMPACT). TOTAL EXCAVATION AND SUB-BASE: £1,300 TO £2,400.

SURFACING (20-30M² — LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY): RESIN-BOUND AGGREGATE (SURESET BREEDON GOLDEN AMBER — 18MM): £1,200 TO £2,700 (£60-90/M² INSTALLED). PERMEABLE BLOCK PAVING (MARSHALLS PRIORA 60MM): £800 TO £1,950 (£40-65/M² INSTALLED). POROUS TARMAC: £600 TO £1,650 (£30-55/M² INSTALLED). GRANITE SETT (RECLAIMED — PERMEABLE): £1,400 TO £3,000+ (£70-100+/M² INSTALLED).

TOTAL TYPICAL FRONT GARDEN DRIVEWAY COST (LONDON — 20-30M² — INCLUDING DROPPED KERB AND SUB-BASE): POROUS TARMAC (BUDGET): £2,700 TO £5,850. RESIN-BOUND AGGREGATE (MID-RANGE): £3,300 TO £6,900. GRANITE SETT (CONSERVATION AREA PREMIUM): £3,500 TO £7,200+