Creating off-road parking can make day-to-day life easier, free up space on a busy street and add appeal when you come to sell. But a new driveway is not just a surfacing job. If you need to cross a pavement or verge to reach it, you will need a dropped kerb, and that brings permissions from Cornwall Council, rules about drainage and specific requirements for who can do the work.
This guide explains the main steps for homeowners in Cornwall. It is general guidance only, and Cornwall Council's current requirements always take priority, so check with the council before you commit to anything.
What is a dropped kerb or vehicle crossing?
A dropped kerb, formally called a vehicle crossing, is the lowered section of kerb and strengthened footway that lets vehicles cross the pavement or verge between the road and your property. The pavement and verge are part of the public highway, so you cannot simply lower the kerb or drive over the footway. Driving across a kerb that has not been dropped can damage the pavement and services beneath it, and the council can take action.
Step one: check whether you need planning permission
Cornwall Council asks homeowners to make sure the right planning permissions are in place before applying for a vehicle crossing, and provides a planning permission checklist to help. As a general guide, planning permission is more likely to be needed where:
the access would be onto a classified road (A, B or C road) or a trunk road
the property is a listed building, or the work would affect its setting
the property is a flat, maisonette or commercial premises
permitted development rights have been removed for the property or the wider area
Planning rules can be complex, and the checklist is not a substitute for a formal decision. If you are unsure, consider a Lawful Development Certificate or pre-application advice. Our guide to planning permission in Cornwall explains the options, and properties in a conservation area or National Landscape may face extra scrutiny; see our AONB and conservation area guide.
Step two: the vehicle crossing licence
Every new dropped kerb needs approval from Cornwall Council as the highway authority. At the time of writing, Cornwall Council describes this as a two-stage process:
Stage one: the property owner applies for a vehicle crossing licence, with a plan showing the location of the crossing. The council inspects the site and, if it approves the application, asks for payment of the licence fee.
Stage two: your chosen contractor applies for permission to carry out the works, using your licence reference number.
The council says applications take a minimum of six weeks, and the licence fee is reviewed every year, so check the current fee on Cornwall Council's website. If permission is refused, the council will normally explain why.
Size, visibility and safety
Not every frontage can take a driveway. Cornwall Council will look at the site before deciding, and common points include:
Hardstanding size: Cornwall Council states that the parking area must be at least 2.5m wide and 5.0m deep and set at right angles to the highway. A car should not overhang the pavement.
Visibility: you need to see, and be seen by, pedestrians and traffic when pulling out. Bends, junctions, walls and hedges can all be an issue.
Obstructions: street lights, trees, telegraph poles, utility boxes and drainage gullies in the footway may need moving, which can add cost or rule a location out.
Gradient: steep frontages, common in Cornwall, may need careful levels or retaining structures to create a usable, safe driveway. Our guide to retaining walls and sloping sites covers the options.
Cornish hedges and stone walls along a frontage are part of local character, and removing them may need permission. See our guide to Cornish hedges and stone walls.
Who can build the dropped kerb?
Work on the public highway must be carried out by an accredited contractor. Cornwall Council requires the contractor to hold both the Streetworks Supervisor and Operative qualifications and public liability insurance of at least £5 million. The crossing must be built to the council's own specification. Because the licence holder takes on responsibilities under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, including a guarantee period for the work, it is worth asking your contractor for the same assurance. The council recommends getting at least three quotes.
Drainage: keeping water off the road
Drainage is one of the most important parts of a new driveway, and one of the most often overlooked. Rainwater from a private driveway should not run out across the pavement and into the road.
For front gardens, permitted development rules generally allow a new or replacement hard surface without planning permission if it is either permeable, such as resin bound surfacing, permeable block paving or gravel, or if rainwater is directed to a lawn, border or soakaway within the property. Covering more than five square metres of a front garden with an impermeable surface that drains onto the road normally needs planning permission.
Good drainage design might include:
a permeable surface with a suitable sub-base
a channel drain at the boundary to catch run-off before it reaches the footway
a soakaway, sized after ground testing, as some Cornish ground drains poorly
falls that direct water away from the house and garage
Our guide to septic tanks, drainage and soakaways explains soakaway testing, and our flood risk guide is worth reading if you are in a low-lying area.
Choosing the driveway surface
Once permissions and drainage are sorted, you can choose the finish. Resin bound surfacing is a popular permeable option; see our resin driveways guide and our resin driveway service. Whatever the finish, a properly excavated and compacted sub-base matters most. Our groundworks and foundations service covers excavation and preparation.
What does it cost?
Costs vary widely, so treat any figure as general guidance only. The total usually includes the council licence fee, the highway works by an accredited contractor, any moving of street furniture or utilities, and the driveway itself, including excavation, sub-base, drainage and surface. Frontage width, ground conditions, levels and access all make a difference. A detailed, itemised quote after a site visit is the only reliable guide; our guide to reading a builder's quote explains what to look for.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission for a dropped kerb in Cornwall?
Yes. Every new vehicle crossing needs a licence from Cornwall Council as the highway authority, and some also need planning permission.
Can I use any builder to drop the kerb?
No. Work on the highway must be done by a contractor with the Streetworks qualifications and insurance Cornwall Council requires.
Do I need planning permission for a new front driveway?
Not usually if it is permeable or drains within your property, but impermeable surfaces over five square metres draining to the road normally need permission.
Planning a new driveway? Talk to us
Cornish Building Company works across the whole of Cornwall on driveways, groundworks and landscaping. See our resin driveway and groundworks services and the areas we cover. Call us on 01208 816991 or contact us to talk through your plans.
