A “vehicle crossing” or “dropped kerb” is a section of kerb lowered to provide vehicular access to a property.

If you wish to drive over a pavement or grass verge to access a driveway, to a single dwelling, you will need to apply for a Light Duty Vehicle Crossing.

Not all applications are successful. We will only allow vehicle crossings in locations that are appropriate, taking into account the operation of the highway, safety and engineering requirements.

Please do not construct your driveway until your vehicle crossing application has been approved and you have gained planning permission (if required).

If you are a tenant you should check with your landlord as you may also need their permission to make alterations and park a car on the property.

Planning permission

This may be needed to form or alter access onto a major road (you will be notified of this after the initial inspection by the Highways Service).

If you are a tenant you should check with your landlord as you may need their permission to park a car on the property.

Where planning permission for a driveway has been granted it is still necessary to apply to highways for dropped kerbs. A successful planning application does not necessarily mean that highways will agree to your request for dropped kerbs. There may be engineering or safety reasons as to why a dropped kerb should not be permitted that may not be taken into account as part of the planning process.

Criteria

Your application will be considered according to the Council’s published Light Duty Vehicle Crossings Policy.

The main requirements are:

  • A minimum driveway length of 5m (5.5m if there is a garage). This length is measured from the property to the pavement.*
  • A minimum driveway width of 3m (3.2m if the driveway will also form the pedestrian access to the property)*
  • The maximum length of 6 kerb stones to be lowered per property, not including transition (sloped) kerbs
  • A maximum driveway gradient of 10%
  • A minimum distance of 10m from a junction on a side road, 15m on a classified road, 20m (or more if required) from a junction with traffic lights

*Vehicles will need to be parked perpendicular to the highway. Applications, where the vehicle would need to be parked parallel to the highway or at an angle, will be refused.

Where there is an obstruction in the way of the proposed vehicle crossing, consideration will need to be given as to whether or not it can be moved.

For full details about the criteria to be considered, please refer to the Light Duty Vehicle Crossing Policy which is available to download:

Do I need planning permission?

In some circumstances planning permission will be required to construct a vehicle crossing.

Where planning permission for a driveway has been granted it is still necessary to apply to highways for dropped kerbs.

A successful planning application does not necessarily mean that highways will agree to your request for dropped kerbs.

There may be engineering or safety reasons as to why a dropped kerb should not be permitted that may not be taken into account as part of the planning process.

To avoid any unnecessary costs please do not construct your driveway until all necessary planning and highway permissions have been granted.

You may need planning permission if:

  • The access will be onto a classified road (A, B or classified unnumbered roads).
  • The property is a listed building
  • The property is in a conservation area
  • The access will be used by vehicles over 3,500kg
  • The access will serve multiple dwellings
  • The access will serve a commercial building
  • Your hardstanding does not meet Sustainable Urban Drainage requirements