dropping the kerb stones

You do need permission for a crossover as it's called. Only registered contractors are allowed to do this work so you get permission and a quote from the council and book the job in.

 

do i need permission to take kerb stones out to form
new drive

Yes

and do the council themselves have to carry
out the work

Either the local authority ir their approved contractor.

You may also need a legal wayleave if the cross-over crosses over some-one elses property, eg a public footpath, grass verge or similar.

 

You MUST go through the council, who will then seek any objections from bordering property owners if it is a new drive. Cost is about £500.

 

The kerbstones AND pathway are not your property, and it would be criminal damage to change it.



Mr. HandyAndy - really

 

what happens if the chap who is doing the driveway
tells me he takes them out all the time and has never
had a comeback

It's your choice........sounds like you've made the decision already so why waste our time??

 

mine cost around the £500 mark and there was no choice of contractor council only!(suppose this will vary depending on local council)
The thing is if there is a dropped kerb the council are liable for anyone tripping and the local ambulance chaser brigade so the have to make sure they are done right.
If you go ahead without permision you can bet you will get shopped by the guy up the street who paid for his.

 

My neighbour had their kerb dropped last year. They had to get authorisation from the council; I think they went through planning? But a local driveway contractor relayed their drive and completed the alterations to the kerb. The contractor gets all his work through word of mouth so I'm 99% sure he isnt authorised by the council.

First job is to phone your local planning dept and see what docs you need to compile and submit.

 

The contractor gets all his
work through word of mouth so I'm 99% sure he isnt
authorised by the council.


I beg to differ. If the council have not appointed the contractor, I doubt if he is authorised to do the work. Besides with the spend that any council will have with such works they would have to receive tenderers that are open to any suitably qualified organisation throughout the European Union.

If you employ an unauthorised contractor to work on a public highway, I doubt very much if any contractor would even do the work as they know the consequences for all parties.

However if we are talking about an unadopted road than that is different as it is not the councils responsibility or in their ownership.

 

Stafford county council demand £180 planning application/permission for a dropped kerb, then when they have inspected and deemed you are suitable to allow access to your property you have to use a registered builder with minimum £5million insurance, which then costs a further £600+ to do the job.

About a grand in total, for a bleddy drop kerb!!!!!

 

I cannot imagine one council allowing somebody to dig up the highway at will. lol

 

I cannot imagine one council allowing somebody to dig
up the highway at will. lol

I can't either. One of the considerations that the council may make is the fact that your dropped curb will limit the public parking that is available on the road.

Your dropped curb will do away with at least one parking space. (assuming you are allowed to park there anyway).

 

Did my own in a semi 10 years ago when I built my own garage and drive.I was at war with a couple of the neighbours at the time and of course I got a letter from the council saying I was illegally driving over the pavement.(Something they really hate.)So the ex dragon toddles off to the council office and finds the guy who wrote the letter and asks him if he has always had a problem with his eyesight.When she explains that we are the only one of four houses NOT driving over the pavement,(the other three were,)he back-pedalled a bit.She then told him in her customary booming voice that the pavement on the rest of the street was so bad my meagre efforts were the best bit on the street.As he had obviously rattled off the letter without seeing the work he was a bit reticent to persue the matter.In the end they left me alone and the idiots that reported me all got told not to drive on the pavement again unless they had theirs lowered.Cost 'em a fortune.Nice to win one now and again isn't it?

 

Nice one Harry!!!

I work for an LA but fully appreciate how petty beaurocracy is at times.

 

So? You have been given sensible advice.

 

relax jules.
let me explain i just want the kerbstones taking out
to form a bigger driveway/where talking 3 kerbstones
here.i don't want the council to do driveway,i have
my own contractor.will the council remove 3
kerbstones so my guy can run his levels in.




Oooh, now that's an even bigger question. The council are normally quite approachable for a driveway needing kerbs dropped, but extending to double driveway ? Oooh, they are not as keen.


Just preparing you.


Mr. HandyAndy - really

 

If you do it without permision chances are the council will try and charge you when they discover it the next time they survey the road.

If someone crashes or falls into the hole youve dug during the work you will have no insurance and be liable.

Aproved contractor only im afraid, of course the aproved contractor 'might' do a deal for cash!

 

The kerb race, kerb and pavement are not your property - neither you nor your contractor can legally 'adjust' these finishes.

Council or council approved contractor ONLY, full stop, no argument.

Do it at you own risk if you wish.