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Original poster

Dropping a kerb

12 replies

SumAndSubstance · 15/03/2019 13:28

This is a boring question really and I wasn't sure whether to post it, but I wondered if anyone has had the kerb dropped where they live and, if so, did you have to get planning permission?
I'm almost certain that you need planning permission to do this. Our local council charges a fee to answer the question as to whether you need planning permission, but I'm so certain that I will need it that I'm tempted not to bother paying to ask the question, but just to put in for planning permission straight off.

I imagine councils do differ on this perhaps, but please share your kerb-dropping stories with me!

OP posts:
FlaviaAlbia · 15/03/2019 13:36

Yes, we had to pay a deposit of £250 (I think) to the Road Service/ Dept of Infrastructure, filled a form with the details, they ok'd it, then when the work was done, we notified them, they came out and checked it and sent the money back.

No planning permission was needed since it was just widening a driveway.

BarbaraofSevillle · 15/03/2019 13:43

Is there any information on your local council's website? Ours has all sorts of information about permitted development rights and whether PP is needed for extensions, landscaping and probably dropped kerbs too.

I last looked at ours when we had our driveway redone, as you need PP for this unless the surface is porous or has a drain on it - if you are also doing the driveway, you need to look into this too (we already had a dropped kerb when we bought the house, but the driveway was a bit crap and got totally ruined when we had the extension built, but has now been resurfaced at a cost of £££s).

Fortysix · 15/03/2019 13:48

My Council quoted £1300 to do ours. People parked consistently across our driveway and when we sought help none could be given as no dropped kerb existed. However 3 years later parking restrictions changed and problem happens only occasionally.

DeadBod · 15/03/2019 13:49

I wanted a dropped kerb but was unsure whether I was allowed one. There was a fee to apply but I sent the application to a someone at the council who could assess whether it would be likely to be successful or not for no fee. I forget the official name but a search on your council website might come up with the answer. I'm glad that I went down that route as I was rejected knobbers

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 15/03/2019 13:53

You need a permit to do it. In Scotland it’s a section 58 permit (I think!) for excavating in the road. Not sure what the English equivalent is. It’s because it needs to be done to a specific standard. You also need to check whether there are any cables in the pavement (ie fibre optic cables) before you dig it up. Check with the council.

DeadBod · 15/03/2019 13:56

I've just had a quick look on my council website and there was a pre planning advice application that I completed and emailed free of charge. I got my reply fairly quickly iirc.

Seeline · 15/03/2019 13:58

You need a license from the local highway authority to do the work.
You need PP only if the dropped kerb is onto a classified road (an A, B or C road).
You may also need PP if the associated hardsurfacing if the drive/parking area exceeds a certain area and is not permeable.

Brahumbug · 15/03/2019 13:58

You can't drive over the pavement if you haven't got a dropped curb. TO Have Acura dropped you usually have to use a council approved contractor.

Original poster
SumAndSubstance · 15/03/2019 13:59

Oo, thanks everyone - I thought this might be too boring to get a response! The council website says we can send off a form and they will tell us whether we need planning permission. It sounds like this is definitely worth doing as there's a chance we might not. We'd still need to go through the council to get it done, although I'm sure I read somewhere (can't find it now though) that they have a list of approved contractors rather than doing it themselves. I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing! Of course, they may not give permission... I'm hoping they will as we're about the only house on the road that hasn't done this.

OP posts:
Brahumbug · 15/03/2019 14:01

Curb? Kerb!, acura? A kerb!

MadisonAvenue · 15/03/2019 18:45

We had parking for two cars but wanted to widen our drive and drop the kerb when our son got a car.
The council wanted to charge £85 to tell us if we needed planning permission but it then came to light that they hadn't adopted the road (it's a small close) and we didn't have to pay. They did however send someone out to look at what needed doing and they refused to allow us to drop the kerb as what would be the new part of the drive wasn't long enough to fit a car on at 90 degrees to the road, the car would overhang off the drive and over the footpath by a whopping 4cm.

I know they have to follow laws but it seemed really silly, our reasons for doing this was get to a car off the road and onto off street parking seeing as there are huge problems with neighbours not just with double parking but parking cars fully, with all four wheels, on the footpath and totally blocking it.

RomanyQueen1 · 15/03/2019 18:47

Yes, you need permission and there has to be no obstruction to drains, trees, pavement for pedestrians etc.
The council did ours as an approved contractor.
We had to wait quite a while though, before they did it.
They came round first to assess the viability.

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