Any planning people around who could help please?

[DarkLikeVader]

Hey, I'm hoping someone can give me an answer and save me having to spend £100 asking the council, sorry for being cheeky! It's a long one I'm afraid.

I want to create a new entrance to my front garden, what we have currently is a narrow path with steps, high walls either side; it's rubbish for crossing the road at the bottom thanks to being on a bend and the high walls/narrow pavement combo and will be impossible with a pram (DS due January!).

It would constitute a new entrance as I'd like it further down the garden and not right on the bend of the road. I'm not planning on dropping the curb so I don't think I need planning permission but as it's a £5k+ job I thought it'd be best to check.

The front wall is currently 1.5 meter high along the pavement, as our property is 1.5m above the road level.

I want to dig out approx 6 meter width and move the wall back away 2m from the pavement creating a 12 m square graveled area for bins etc, (digging out 6 x 2m x 1.5 = 18 cubic metres).

Then from that have two 1.75 metre wide walls and a 2.5 meter wide entrance/slope (adding up to the 6m dug out) up to the house with a 1m wide block paved path in the centre of the 2.5 meter wide slope.

I don't plan on exceeding the 5 metre square non porous path rule and will likely use the garden behind as a soak away or porous materials for the path any way.

I can't see anywhere that says I should have planning permission for this, but as I'm digging out such a large section and it could be construed as a new entrance to the highway I'd really appreciate any advice..! Sorry it's so long.

I can post a (badly drawn!) diagram if that makes it clearer!

I have no idea. But I would contact the council, for peace of mind if nothing else.

Isn't there something about needing planning for anything between the front of the house and the highway over 90cm? I could be totally wrong about this.

We've just done a new drive access so a bit different but did need planning as well as permission from highways. Part of the condition was to submit the specification for approval before work began. I think doing anything like this when it comes to selling it would be an idea to have something in writing from the Council so would pay on this occasion.

It sounds like the wall is a retaining wall, and you're wanting to shift it back a fair way. How close to the house will the new wall be?

My gut feeling is that it probably would need planning.

Bums, looks like I need to bite the bullet and make an appointment to chat to the planning office then. I suppose it's sensible.

whatsthe I guess it's a retaining wall in that it holds the garden up! The new wall will be about 9m away from the house still - it's in the front garden but to the side of the house (we have a big garden to the side and back of the house). Does that make a difference?

I am surprised at the cost of pre planning advice. Our local council charge £40.

Pretty sure if you're creating a new access on to a public highway you need Highways permission at the very least.

It's £102 for our council and that's the cheapest band, which this falls into (under driveways I guess). Whereabouts in the country are you that's so cheap?! we're southwest.

Does it count as a new access on the highway if the kerb isn't dropped though?

Oh also I'm not planning on driving across the pavement to access our property - this is purely so I have a safe place to leave the property with a pram and my DD and so, when they change us to wheelie bins next year we will have somewhere to put one - currently a bin would have to block the entire narrow pavement, and I'd struggle to bump a full bin up and down the steps...