Driveways and the law

Just like everything else, when it comes to driveways there are rules and regulations you need to be aware of – mainly to do with planning.

Since 2008, if you want to cover your front garden with a hard surface, driveway or paving, and the area that needs covering is more than five square metres, you’ll need to get planning permission if you’re putting down traditional, impermeable materials which don’t control rainwater running off onto the roads.

You don’t need  planning permission  for less than five square metres, nor do you need it if the surface you’re putting down will permeable or porous, or  if  you use a traditional surface which directs rainwater to a lawn or border to drain naturally (or there is another drainage solution, like a soakaway added)

If you want to avoid planning permission, you could look at alternative options like;

·         Permeable paving
·         Porous asphalt
·         Sustainable drainage systems / rainwater harvesting systems
·         Combinations of gravel with a green, vegetated area
·         Traditional hard surfaces that incorporate run-off to your garden or lawn or a rain garden or soakaway

It’s fine to lay hard surfacing which lets water to soak into it along with concrete permeable paving or porous asphalt, but you will need to make sure they are laid on top of a sub-base which lets water pass through and be stored.

Other ideas include letting water run-off into your lawn or flower beds, or working it so that the run off is directed towards an area of your garden where it will collect, and either soak into the ground or flow to the drains.

Soakaways are another option; these pipe water into a gravel-filled trench or container and from there it soaks back into the ground. These are only suitable for properties which have larger front gardens, as they need more space than other options and legally they need to be a certain distance from your house or any other buildings.

For advice about driveways, what’s suitable for your property and how to make sure that your driveway conforms to all the relevant legislation, talk to an expert garden landscaper like John Lessels Landscaping.