Creating a driveway

Monkey_Joe

I live in a mid terraced house in Feltham (Borough of Hounslow) and would like to create the space in the front of my house into a driveway. The front of the house has already been paved over so the only thing that needs to be done is to knock the small wall separating the front of the house to the pavement/road.

Can someone please explain to me what I need to do, who I need to contact to get this done? I can just knock the wall down myself and park the car but I hear that would be illegal.

I am desperate for a driveway. Anyone is free to park on our street and it does my head in having to park 200yards away from my house when I come home to discover someone is parked in front. By creating a driveway, it will stop people parking in front of my house and I can I have my own space.

Imp

You need to ask the local council if they can lower the kerb for you. Without the lowered kerb, you don't have a right to drive across the footpath onto your property.

explumber

council highways department, they are the only people allowed to install the drop kerb and reinstate the pavement between the road and your property. it wont be cheap, had a friend had one done about eight years ago, cost him £1,400.00.

Monkey_Joe

what if I just knock the wall down and not park the car within the driveway, but just off the curb in front of my house. As I do now whenever a space is available.

ormus

theres nothing to stop you knocking your own wall down.
but dont park on the new driveway and then kick off cause someone has blocked you in.
you have no right to make anyone move from the roadside kerb, parked legally.

dander

Bear this in mind http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-524838/Cars-trapped-illegal-driveways-council-fits-bollards-middle-night.html

Anyway, if your aim is to stop people parking in front of your house, you don't have a hope of making that happen if you don't drop the kerb - especially in London. They will just keep on parking there regardless of whether your wall is there or not, as they are perfectly entitled to do.

My dropped kerb cost £900 - the council will give you a quote before you have to stump up - it all depends on how large an area is dropped, whether there are utilities in the way etc, cost can be extremely variable. Some councils will allow you to get your own contractor, some will give you a list of contractors and some will insist on doing it themselves. You'll have to get in touch with your council to find out how yours works.

Get on their website, they'll almost certainly have a facility to request a leaflet explaining how it all works, and including the application forms.