Gravel drive - neighbour unhappy

[Nolyty]

We moved into our home last year and inherited a very old, very messy paved front garden. We built an extension on the side of the house where the garage used to be, leaving half the front garden with tarmac.

We managed to scrimp together enough money to get something done at the front. The cheapest option was gravel. We had this done last week and were very happy with ourselves that we'd made our home more presentable.

However...

Our new neighbour spoke with DH today about loose stones going onto the pavement and into the road, potentially damaging cars and the like.
I'm so upset with myself that I didn't think about this before. I just assumed as it was a popular choice for front gardens/drives, we'd be ok.

I don't want to ruin relations with our new neighbour, I certainly don't want to cause a safety issue. I'm really worried we've spent thousands on this project and now we might have to do something different. We're not using it as a drive currently, but had plans to if ever necessary. We'll of course sweep what goes onto the pavement regularly.

I've looked into glue for this kind of thing, but once applied you can't drive over it, so we'd basically not have a drive. It's also very very expensive.

I just don't understand how this has become such a big problem when gravel is so common. I'm not sure whether we stick with it and sweep as best we can, or somehow look to change it (but we have no money to do so...).

Any advice?

A house near me has just had their front garden taken up and gravel put down, but they've had a border of block paving too and nearest the pavement I think it's 3 pavers deep. If you could afford something like that in the future it would help keep any stray bits going on to the pavement.

I have to say it's noticeable who bothers to sweep their gravel back and who doesn't. Same people usually having bushes and hedges growing half over the pavement and rarely cutting them back.

I think he needs to get a life to be honest.

We're not using it as a drive currently, but had plans to if ever necessary.

So you don't have a car? And presumably don't have visitors every day? In that case it's a complete non issue at the moment as there won't be any gravel travelling onto the road or pavement! If it was that damaging/dangerous then no one would ever get them. In my experience a bit can spill out until they're not new anymore and the gravel has settled into the ground/usual tyre marks, but it's rare that you see gravel all over the road or causing any problems

Our whole road is pretty much like this. Gravel doesn’t really cause any damage, certainly not at low speeds. It’s also better for drainage than tarmac. As you were!

After a while the stones will bed in and become compact . Ignore your neighbour .

Ignore them

All the houses in our road (12) have gravel driveways and we and our cars are all fine

So we do have a car, but there's an abundance of on-street parking at the moment. The front area is disproportionately large, so we're future proofing for when/if we become a multi car household. There's also certain days when the road is unexpectedly busy, so we'd probably look to use it then, as well as any visitors.
But I am reassured by your comment!

As long as you sweep any stray pebbles back onto your drive. Our neighbour has gravel and it extends way beyond their drive - into our car tyres, bike tyres, stuck in shoe soles. A real pia - I just keep kicking them back but it's a never ending battle

Pfft. Our gravel escapes a foot or so from the boundary onto the cul-de-sac. We rake it back in every so often. Pay no heed.

Sorry @Nolyty I know I sound like one of those people, and I try to not be a moany neighbour (and I rarely complain in real life about anything,) but I have to say gravel drives are the work of the devil. The gravel goes everywhere. It's got a mind of its own! Every time your car(s) moves off the drive, bits of gravel ping up in the air, and also get dragged onto the public footpath.

People can say 'gravel drives are quite common' as much as they like, but it doesn't change the fact that they are a ballache. Several people in my road have them, and they bitterly regret getting them. They are sweeping the public footpath every day! as the gravel gets dragged onto it. A couple of them have had the gravel drive for 2-3 years and it's no better than it was the day they had it! Gravel/stones still fly up all over the place (and end up on the public footpath!)

They're awful! I would rather push the boat out and pay out for a tarmac drive. If I couldn't afford it I would save up til I could!

!

It's a very normal (and most excellent) driveway treatment and will bed down somewhat in time.

How big are the stones? Is it true gravel (less than 10mm) or bigger and more pebbly? Pebbly May spill less but it is more of a nuisance when it does get onto the pavement.

If your drive is on a slope it will be worse. On the flat not such an issue

More than half the houses on our road have gravel and there hasn't been much in the way of issues. Our house has a wide cobbled bit at the gateway which seems to catch any loose bits before it goes onto the road. I have trouble with walking it into the house sometimes, one pair of sandals are particularly bad for it.

You may have a neighbour who just doesn't like change. My neighbour is like that and anytime I change anything in my garden she struggles with it. I adopt a soothing tone and maintain that gardens are in constant flux, that is the nature of gardens and whatever thing is bothering her will fix itself as the new plants grow. To be fair, her garden is not at all in any flux and looks pretty much the same every season as all the plants are manicured very regularly, and I know that she thinks that's how a garden should be.

loose stones going onto the pavement and into the road, potentially damaging cars and the like.

Does the neighbour have this level of concern about gravel from the thousands of other drives they pass every year? Very odd.

The entire width of our front garden was gravel when we bought the house. W like it. We shall put a strip of brick block say 750mm wide next to pavement. They can be laid DIY. Simples! Says DH 😆

Exactly what we did. My problem was the local cats using it as a giant litter tray, once treading in it and getting it all over the pedals of the car 🤢

I detest gravel drives, they make a mess and are noisy.

If you acquiese, this person will think he’s the boss of you and will have no qualms about whining about other nonissues in future. Politely stand firm. Start as you mean to go on.

Neighbour is being ridiculous don’t even consider giving in. A small lip like a mini speed bump at the end of the drive would prevent stones escaping.

Ignore your neighbour OP, they are being absurd.

If you want to be very diligent, you could sweep any loose stones back onto your drive with a broom once a week.

They’ve got off on a bad footing with you. This is a non-issue that they’ve chosen to be difficult about - they’re totally telling you who they are.

As someone who genuinely does have OCD, please don't minimise a severe mental health issue.

The noise is why some people have it - for security. Puts off some burglars. And alerts you if they do turn up.
We're thinking of it, but only if we can be sure that the hexagonal mats make it usable for wheelchairs, as I have a friend who uses one .

One solution is to have a paved threshold maybe 1m wide where the gravel joins the footway. Stone setts/block paving etc. that way the gravel will spill onto that, within your property boundary rather than going out on the pavement and you can just brush it back regularly.

If you go for stone setts set in mortar you can have wide deep joints which the gravel will sit in too which can look nice.

I've never had a gravel drive, but know from people that have that they are a bloody nuisance.

Like people have said, I would do something to the border in the short term to lessen stone migration.