Hiya, this is my first time on SF. I am wanting to turn half my front garden into a driveway for 1 car & was wondering if anyone had done this & if they know any companies to ring for a quote. I know il need planning permission to drop the curb etc but I have no idea on cost etc.
Il be grateful for any ideas!
Natz

You need to contact the SCC highways department they'll tell you everything you need to know, everything has to be approve & you have to get special permission to do it, you would be looking at that costing about £200 - £300 for dropping the kerb, There are also standards that the driveway has to adhere to (ie you can't just put 2 rows of paving slabs down!).

The ppl you employ to drop the kerb also have to be registered with the council & authorised (ie streetworks licences) to do the work so you may be able to barter with them!!! But the highways department will give you a list of these ppl.

just get a decent job done sod the council:)

You do not need to be an approved contractor "on the councils list" you simply have to have public liability insurance.Also a valid N.R.A.S.W.A. Providing the job is done to the correct specification and to a decent standard you shouldn't have any problems. Just be wary of cheap quotes if you want the job done properly.


As for price, you will be looking at roughly £50/£60 per sqm depending on the size of the job.

albeit on your head coz if the coucil find out, they'll rip it up & do it to their standards they will then charge you for the privalige!!!!!! (it'll cost you a lot more than doing it properly)

Re read the above post.................:roll:

winemaster, can I let you in on something,

The liability insurance has to cover £6.5mil whilst the work on the kerb is being done, in order to do the work to drop a kerb LEGALLY you also have to have a streetworks licence & be registered with the council to do it.

I recently enquired as to the best way to go about doing it, Now TBH, if you want to go ahead & do it ILLEAGALLY that's you perogative, but no REPUTABLE firm will not perform the work without the relevent qualifications & permits as they can lose all other licences,

If it were worth the risk to these companies I would have it done at cost of materials as my dad, my uncle & 2 of my cousins ALL have VALID streetworks licences!
BUT as they are neither registered/authorised/approved by SCC to do the work, they won't do it because they really don't fancy the law suits & neither do I !!

lets say for example in the sue em all society that we live in that someone trips over on the dropped kerb & decides to sue the council, the 1st thing the council will do is go for the details of the person who did the work.....then it goes round & round & you end up in a big pile of proverbial poo, being sued BY SCC because they are bein sued because you got a cowboy in!

I personally can't be arsed with the hassle & as the whole job would only cost £200 - £300 to be done by someone approved why bother?????

Hi there only a certain class of road needs planning. So if your on a back street there is a good chance you won't need the planning for the drop kerb. Good look and have fun.

all drop kerbs need permission. plus your supposed to use a company which is correctly insured to do so.and normallythe cost can be around the 500 mark. i used to be a tarmacer.

Not all do just a licence:)

The person doing the work must have streets and works licence. Rules change all the time.