Dropped Kerb - cost ?

50Twuncle

We are considering getting an extension to our dropped kerb - in order to make it easier to get into and out of our drive.......
What is the cost likely to be ?
I know that the local council charge £90 for planning permission but does the council have to do the work themselves or do we get to pick a contractor ?
I heard rumours of £150 per kerb stone (2.5 feet) - is this correct ?

Norman_Castle

Are the costs on your councils website?.

paulsad

It is about that price round here - ours isn't dropped but it's low enough not to be a bother. My mate's a brickie he had one and just went out late one night and "chamfered" it with a bolster chisel! Not that I'm advocating you do the same of course!

Mojisola

50Twuncle wrote: »

I know that the local council charge £90 for planning permission but does the council have to do the work themselves or do we get to pick a contractor?

In our area, you have to use a contractor that's on the council's approved list.

50Twuncle

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Are the costs on your councils website?.

No - just the PP/registration charges (£90)

50Twuncle

Mojisola wrote: »

In our area, you have to use a contractor that's on the council's approved list.

Apparently - that is the case nationwide - that is potentially open to corruption (as in HERE'S A FEW QUID - IF YOU ADD ME TO YOUR LIST")

Mojisola

50Twuncle wrote: »

Apparently - that is the case nationwide - that is potentially open to corruption (as in HERE'S A FEW QUID - IF YOU ADD ME TO YOUR LIST")

AIUI, the companies have to guarantee the work will last for a certain length of time and have insurance to cover repairs if it doesn't.

Dr._Shoe

As an aside, a friend of mine lived on a corner and decided to build a garage in their garden to be accessed from the road at the side of the house. As part of the work they had the curbed dropped, the pavement resurfaced (by a council contractor) and then were about to tackle the laying a short driveway over the grassed strip between the pavement and their boundary wall when hey hit a snag. The estate developer turned up and told them that in order to be able to dig up the grass strip and lay a drive they would have to purchase said strip for £13,000! To go ahead and do the work would effectively be trespass.

The upshot is that my friends now have a very expensive garden shed that is big enough to take a car but are legally unable to use it for that purpose. Funny how someone keeps driving across the so called "ransom strip" though!

50Twuncle

Dr._Shoe wrote: »

As an aside, a friend of mine lived on a corner and decided to build a garage in their garden to be accessed from the road at the side of the house. As part of the work they had the curbed dropped, the pavement resurfaced (by a council contractor) and then were about to tackle the laying a short driveway over the grassed strip between the pavement and their boundary wall when hey hit a snag. The estate developer turned up and told them that in order to be able to dig up the grass strip and lay a drive they would have to purchase said strip for £13,000! To go ahead and do the work would effectively be trespass.

The upshot is that my friends now have a very expensive garden shed that is big enough to take a car but are legally unable to use it for that purpose. Funny how someone keeps driving across the so called "ransom strip" though!

My parents used to have a similar problem - they bought a house on a brand new estate in 1971 and the council owned a tiny strip of land at the rear of the garden - the rear of the garden was leading up to another road - theirs was the only property in such a silly position.
Eventually - they were allowed to buy the 2 feet of land for a sum that I believe was £500 !!
Giving them the right to walk across it without fear of trespass !!