Driveway drainage and planning permission in England
Part of our driveways guides
Drainage is the part of a driveway quote most people skim, and the part that decides whether the work needs planning permission at all. It is worth understanding before you compare prices, because a quote that ignores water is cheaper for a reason.
The permitted development rule
In England, laying a new front driveway is normally permitted development if the surface is porous or permeable, or if rainwater is directed to a permeable area such as a lawn, planted border or soakaway inside your own boundary. If you lay more than five square metres of non-permeable surface that drains onto the road, planning permission is required.
Rules differ for listed buildings and some conservation areas, and councils can apply local conditions. Confirm your own position with your council before work starts — we build to whatever they approve, but the application is yours.
Ways to deal with the water
There is usually more than one workable answer on a given plot. Which one is right depends on levels, ground conditions and how much planted area you have left.
- Permeable block paving with wider joints and an open-graded sub-base, so water passes through the surface
- Falling the paving to a lawn, border or gravel strip inside the boundary
- A soakaway sized and positioned for the ground conditions and kept clear of foundations
- A channel or linear drain across the threshold, connected to a soakaway rather than to the highway
- A combination — for example a small fall to a border with a channel drain protecting the garage or front door
Levels and the damp proof course
Paving should finish clear of the damp proof course, normally at least 150mm below it, or be drained so that water cannot sit against the wall. Raising a drive over an old surface is the most common way this gets ignored, and the consequence is damp inside rather than a visible fault outside.
Dropped kerbs are a separate application
A vehicle crossover is applied for through your council's highways department and built to their specification — it is not covered by permitted development for the driveway itself. Councils typically check sightlines, footway construction, street furniture and trees before approving. We build the driveway up to the boundary so it meets the crossover at the right level.
Frequently asked
Is permeable paving more expensive?
The blocks themselves cost a little more, and the sub-base uses a clean, open-graded stone rather than standard MOT. The difference is usually modest against the whole job, and it removes the planning question for a front driveway.
Can I just run the water into the road?
Not without permission. Draining more than five square metres of non-permeable surface to the highway needs planning permission, and councils generally resist it because of the surface water load it creates.