Doing a bit of research for ideas.

We live on a corner plot and want to move the current drive from the side to the front garden. Current drive is only big enough for one medium sized car.  Estates overhang path, 2 cars on mean can’t get doors open easily for kids and blocks the side door.

I’ve read drives aren’t normally allowed within 15m of a junction.  How strict is this?  It kind of snookers most corner plots….there is one other corner house that has a drive in the same config.  Does that set a precedent?

On to materials what is worth a look and how do costs compare?  Resin?  Block, printed concrete, gravel?  Seem to be a few printed concrete in the area which look pretty good

Any other things I need to be taking into consideration?

Ta

A great resource for all patio and driveway needs:

http://www.pavingexpert.com/home.htm

We’ve got Tegula Grey blocks done last year and the figure used was £65/m2 supply and fit including all digging out and MoT1 sub base.

Useful site thanks.  Not much about planning unless I haven’t found it yet.

65m2 is going to add up quick.  How does that compare to other surfaces.  Link above says ‘expnsive’ and ‘cheap’ ok relatively but no help for getting a rough idea of budget

Wickes is selling those blocks at 35m2 so 30m2 for Labour and sub materials.  Useful to know

I didn’t get quotes for other materials as I wanted blocks.  Approx the same for Tarmac I was told, gravel obviously cheaper but not what I was after.

8.5 k

Do you like dags?

My two p.

Block paving fades, a lot more than you think and can look pretty shabby after only a few years, it will also require regular cleaning especially in shaded areas, also there’s plenty of lads who can chuck a few pavers down but the key to avoid dips and hollows mainly where you park is in good ground prep so do your research on who you use. In the Derbyshire area I can recommend only one lad who is spot on.

Patterned concrete is lovely if done right but my big fear with that is if you ever have any service problems, it does not patch and will forever upset you if the gas board come out to fix a leak etc

I like tarmac, weather’s well, and again if the ground prep is done right you will have no problems, some of the resin bonded stuff with say a double block paved border can look really good, saying that a standard well laid wearing course also looks good.

A simple gravel drive, again with good ground prep can also be a good cheaper solution, it will be noisy and require regular fettling though.

Various rules and regs planning wise regarding attenuation and or discharge of top water may also be a requirement IF you go through planning. All stuff that adds cost.

Our new tarmac surface looks mint. Bloke approached my neighbour with a tale of being in the area and doing a big job, needed somewhere to put the last of the load on Friday afternoon to empty the truck and give the lads a bit of drinking money for the weekend. My haggling involved getting them to jiggerpick around the fiddly bits first to get nice edges and transitions and a dozen pints of tea. 40m2 depth of 4-6″ onto existing raked perished surface. £400. Took an extra full truck of asphalt though.

£400 I’d be lucky.

I’m thinking we may go with a mix of patterned concrete and gravel with block around the edges.  Seen a couple of places and it looks quite good.  I’d probably use the company that ive seen several drives local.  they put there mark near the entrance.

luckily no services except drainage which is plan to be under a gravel bit.  no worries about noise (positive for security) or fettling.

I’m most concerned about whether we would even be allowed to do it.  I’ve read driveways are permitted development, but it would be within 5m of a junction which the planning portal indicates is a no no.  That said the existing drive is within the 15m rule.  not many city corner plots are going to be bigger than 15m plus the entrance width

I haven’t tried bit I’m told you can’t have a conversation with the planning dept here (southampton) as they will only speak to you once you submit some plans / pay money

Apply to get permission to drop the curb. I suspect thats when you will get your answer.

Are you going to get planning permission to drop the kerb?

It can appear a proper bureaucratic mess to get an answer.  When we had ours done we needed both county and borough council approval because we have a bus stop, lamp post and bike lane outside the front.  We wanted to drop the kerb and convert a raised front garden into a sloping drive.  Neither said they would give us any idea of potential objection until we’d paid their fee.  So that would be 2 fees paid for no guarantee of go-ahead.  With a bit of gentle phoning along the lines of “what would you do, doesn’t this sound a bit of a bit of a shame to spend all this money when you might just say no” I got a reassurance that if I sent in a summary of what I wanted then I could call in a week and be told if what I wanted was broadly OK.

It all got through, but the council insisted that the surface was a “bound porous material” (i.e. not gravel, not asphalt, not concrete etc. etc.) which is not really an adequate specification.  Permeable is the more correct term, but how permeable did it need to be?  When I asked for clarification as I didn’t want to put something down that might be rejected I was told the chances of anybody checking were between slim and none!  And that was the director of the department telling me.

Don’t get cheap, you’re basically paying for the preparation. Where I got mine done the boys went nearly a metre deep in places to get a good base and the block laying was bang on. I can get about 12 cars on mine to give you an idea and it was £18k

thanks for the posts.  a bit more reading suggests the drop curb would coat an ridiculous £1600ish.  and every site refers to the 15m rule so not looking good.  applying for an curb inspection is nearly £100, whereas if I read the fees right a full planning application is £200.