Laying a concrete drive to your home is a sensible move and if you desire an improvement to your curb appeal, this represents a project you should seriously consider. Building a drive for your home is a good idea for several reasons, not least that they offer additional security for your car. Insurance is often cheaper if the car is parked on a drive at night, and it makes unloading your car much easier than trying to do it out on the roadside. Having your own off-road parking may, in certain circumstances, add considerable value to your property.
There are several different ways to create a drive, from the simple to impressive gravel or paving blocks. The type of drive that you create is up to you, but there are some things you need to consider for every road in the country.
- The width – A domestic road should be at least 3m in width. This provides space for an average-sized car and ample space on both sides for passengers to exit. If you have a larger vehicle you must, of course, make it a little wider.
- Location – you need to think about the ease of access, and anything that may block your view when you leave the drive. Do you need to remove part of a wall or fence to allow access to the driveway? For help with getting your Concrete Tewkesbury, visit a site like https://www.monstermixconcrete.co.uk/
- Getting curbside drop off – you will need to apply to your local council to have the curb dropped on the outside edge of your new drive. You cannot just bump your vehicle up over an existing curb on a pavement in England. There are some things that may negatively impact your applications to drop a curb, including the type of road you live on and the type of building you live in (whether registered or anything other than single occupancy). If your application for dropping the curb is successful, the council will usually do the job and then charge you. Make sure you include these costs in your budgeting for the job.
- Planning Driveway Permits (UK) – driveways built in front of your property now sometimes require planning approval. A drive that is built using concrete or a similar non-porous substance, which is bigger than five square metres will need planning permission. For driveways made of porous materials (such as porous asphalt, paving slabs, gravel etc.) don’t require planning permission. Any driveway smaller than five square meters, whatever the material, made of any material, does not need any planning permission. If you are in any doubt, talk to your local planning office.
