There are different laws regarding paving over your front garden versus a patio or a hard surface at ground level in other parts of your house. The laws and building regulations are reasonably straightforward but it is also worth knowing your that a company you are trusting to provide your new driveway are able to provide real advice on the laws surrounding driveways and its possible ramifications for you as a home owner.
Generally a new driveway does not require explicit building regulations approval however you do need to ensure “that any alterations do not make access to the dwelling any less satisfactory than it was before. So, for example, changing levels to introduce steps where none existed before would be a contravention of the regulations.” as detailed on the UK planning portal.
If you are going to change your front garden into a paved driveway the main consideration is drainage. and the laws and regulations regarding planning permission for a new driveway are centered around the drainage issue.
This stems from the concern of storm drains and sewer systems being able to cope with the additional level of water which would be draining into them from your driveway where previously the water would have soaked back into the earth through your garden.
Permeable surfaces such as Gravel Driveways and other hard surface permeable driveways do not normally require planning permission and we can provide advice on all of the options for permeable driveways. The main importance with Permeable driveways is ensuring that the permeable surface itself is laid correctly over a suitable sub-base, which differs from generic hardcore, that will not create a barrier to water drainage such as sand or silt.
However generally speaking if you want to get a new driveway over a garden and this will drain towards the highway then there are two main options of using soakaways in between the end of the driveway and the start of the path or highway in front of your house or simply submitting planning permission request. As your Driveway provider we will be able to provide the best advice and insight into the planning process and be able to give you advice on any forms required as well as liaising with the local planning officers which we have done on many occasions.
Get in contact today for more info on planning permission for Driveways