Installing a drop kerb and drive (1 Viewer)

chiefdave · Aug 13, 2019

Anyone done this? Looking at buying a house that has no parking so want to convert the front garden, which is gravel at the moment. Would need a wall at the front knocking down and a drop kerb installing - although the kerb currently installed is one of those that is only raised up a couple of centimetres.

If you've had it done how much did it cost? Seeing wildly different prices from looking online, from £2K to £10K!

rob9872 · Aug 13, 2019

Reasonably inexpensive but usually need council approval I believe.

lord_garrincha · Aug 13, 2019

Council's are now ensuring that drives meet a certain spec, so be mindful of that... the dropped kerb is the easy bit once they take the 100 odd quid off you to get a quote!

Houchens Head · Aug 13, 2019

I agree with rob9872. Definitely check out where you stand with the council, first.

Houchens Head · Aug 13, 2019

Got this from a council page:
Is your property suitable for a dropped kerb?
To apply for a dropped kerb, you need to:

have a length of at least 5 metres between the back of the pavement (or top of your driveway) and your property, so that a vehicle can be parked on the driveway without overhanging the pavement
check if planning permission is needed and have it granted if you:
- are constructing a driveway on your property
- live on an A, B or C class road, in a conservation area, property with multiple occupancy or a listed building
get permission from the landowner if you live on a private road
request any parking restrictions to be changed (e.g. parking bays, residents parking) to make sure access to your driveway isn't blocked
be able to safely get on and off your drive (safe distance from junctions with good visibility in both directions)

Once we receive a licence application from the contractor, Highways will visit the site to check that it's suitable. If the site is suitable, your contractor will be notified and the work can start.

chiefdave · Aug 13, 2019

About 2/3rds of the houses already have them so I can't see the council objecting unless I'm on a blacklist for asking too many questions about the Ricoh!

The kerbs are already dropped enough to allow people to park half on the pavement as otherwise nobody would be able to get up the street!

robofcov · Aug 13, 2019

Just do what people do round by me put the driveway in don’t waste money on the dropped kerb , just drive over the paving slabs cracking and breaking them all so any pensioners or children can trip up and break a bone or worse.
If someone grasses you to the Council don’t worry they ain’t interested even with photographic evidence
The Councils MO is they are not responsible for suppling on street parking, so just build the driveway loads by me have think only two have forked out to have kerbs lowered

chiefdave · Aug 13, 2019

robofcov said:
Just do what people do round by me put the driveway in don’t waste money on the dropped kerb , just drive over the paving slabs cracking and breaking them all so any pensioners or children can trip up and break a bone or worse.

Had a look on Google Maps and seems that's what a lot of people have done.

Can see why, the kerb is only dropped a couple of centimetres at most, if the council start asking for thousands people won't bother.

Deleted member 5849 · Aug 13, 2019

robofcov said:
Just do what people do round by me put the driveway in don’t waste money on the dropped kerb , just drive over the paving slabs cracking and breaking them all so any pensioners or children can trip up and break a bone or worse.
If someone grasses you to the Council don’t worry they ain’t interested even with photographic evidence
The Councils MO is they are not responsible for suppling on street parking, so just build the driveway loads by me have think only two have forked out to have kerbs lowered

Thing is, someone can then park across your drive blocking you in, and barring an axe to the window, there's nothing you can do.

shmmeee · Aug 13, 2019

There’s a guy on my mates road who has done it without a dropped kerb. I park in front of his drive every time.

Fuck you, street parking is a public amenity

So yeah, watch out for pedantic dickheads.

Grendel · Aug 13, 2019

chiefdave said:
About 2/3rds of the houses already have them so I can't see the council objecting unless I'm on a blacklist for asking too many questions about the Ricoh!

The kerbs are already dropped enough to allow people to park half on the pavement as otherwise nobody would be able to get up the street!

Years ago I extended the drive to get two cars to park side by side. The original bit was dropped anyway and the price for the other bit which couldn’t have been more than 4 feet was as you say something laughable like £3,000

Otis · Aug 13, 2019

chiefdave said:
About 2/3rds of the houses already have them so I can't see the council objecting unless I'm on a blacklist for asking too many questions about the Ricoh!

The kerbs are already dropped enough to allow people to park half on the pavement as otherwise nobody would be able to get up the street!

Council do object. There's a house just round the corner from me. Just had a drive and a dropped curb put in.

Council have come and marked it in white paint and with their logo that it is illegal.

Not sure whether they didn't get the permission, or didn't do it right.

RegTheDonk · Aug 13, 2019

Had to get the council to do it 20 odd years ago, curtain twitchers would dob you in if they didn't see official subbys doing the work. About £400 though its gone up massively now. Expensive but worth while as nobody can legally block you in - you're cars can also be classed as off road parking, makes the insurance a bit cheaper.

OffenhamSkyBlue · Aug 13, 2019

As others have said, you are not allowed to drive over a pavement that doesn't have a dropped kerb to access your property. You have to talk to the County Council for permission, and you have to use one of the contractors on the council's list (in Worcestershire, you have to use Ringway, Full stop!). Costs in Warks range from about £1700 to £2500 (according to a colleague in Wolston).
Here's the Warks CC page Apply for a dropped kerb – Warwickshire County Council

Correction: according to their website you don't HAVE to use their contractors, but whoever you use must comply with the requirements they set. Easier to use one of theirs. Or buy a different house!

Si80 · Aug 13, 2019

In-laws have just had it done. £3.5k for a drive (paved), seem to remember them saying around £1800ish for the dropped kerb by the council contractors. Took about 3/4 months though for them to process the dropped kerb and come out and do it.

chiefdave · Aug 13, 2019

Thanks chaps.

Guess the council have to fund their trips to Cannes somehow!

Sky_Blue_Dreamer · Aug 13, 2019

I'd ask the council to begin with (it's unlikely they'd be able to say no if others in your street have had it done) and find out the cost. But like you say if it's a lot of money and the kerb is low anyway just get the drive down anyway and drive over it.

There is the issue of street parking as someone could still park across your 'garden' (unless there's another reason they shouldn't like it being near a corner) but if you've got a multi car household you could always park one of your own cars across the drive so you could move it when you need to?

Alan Dugdales Moustache · Aug 13, 2019

Cost wise go on the basis of £250 per kerb stone.

Kneeza · Aug 14, 2019

I seem to recall it being fairly straightforward, but quite pricy back when I had it done in Dickens Rd.
There weren't too many done down there back then, and I feared they wouldn't allow it due to the front garden not being quite deep enough to satisfy the council's regs, but they OKd it.
I seem to recall the kerb had to be done by the council themselves, but they would only do it after I'd had the drive (block) paved.
No idea if they still work the same way now, (I moved out due to circumstances changing about a year later in 2004) but the regs linked above look quite familiar.

Installing a drop kerb and drive (1 Viewer)

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