Permission for a dropped kerb
A dropped kerb lets you legally cross the pavement to a driveway. It needs a vehicle crossover licence from your highway authority, and sometimes planning permission as well.
Dropping the kerb is really two questions: the highways one (a crossover licence, always needed) and, in some cases, a planning one, particularly where the access meets a classified road.
- A crossover to an unclassified road, applied for through your local highway authority
- Forming the driveway itself, subject to the front-garden surfacing rules
- Works carried out by, or to the standard of, the highway authority
- A new or widened access onto a classified (A, B or C) road usually needs planning permission
- Accesses affecting visibility, verges, street trees or highway drainage
- Listed buildings and conservation areas, where appearance is controlled
- Any case where the highway authority requires a planning decision first
Don't forget building regs
The crossover construction must meet your highway authority's specification, depth, materials and pavement strengthening, rather than building regulations. It is illegal to drive over a footway without an approved crossover.
The dropped kerb itself is applied for through your council’s highways team, but if it is part of a wider front-of-house or design project we can produce the access and driveway drawings you need. Ask us on the contact page.
Frequently asked
Do I need planning permission for a dropped kerb?
You always need a vehicle crossover licence from the highway authority. Planning permission is additionally required where the access is onto a classified (A, B or C) road, or in some designated areas. We help you identify which applies.
Who do I apply to for a dropped kerb?
To your local council's highways department, through their dropped kerb / vehicle crossover application. The work must be built to their specification, and it is illegal to drive over the pavement without an approved crossover.
Not sure where your project stands?
Checking whether you need planning permission is one of the first things we do: on the house, before any drawings. Tell us about your project and we'll confirm the route.