changing front lawn to part gravel-not getting a straight answer

the_shreksta

hi

i have just bought my 1st house which is a new build 3 bed detached with driveway. the front lawn is rather large with a 2 slab wide path leading from the path to the front door,i am wanting to remove some of this path/lawn and replace with a decorative gravel for extra parking.

im aware i dont need planning permission as its a porous material i will be using.

i cant get a straight answer from jelsons or my solicitor if this would be ok or not, i have read my restrictive covenants in my deeds over and over again and it states nothing about not being able to change the front of my land other than not to erect any buildings or plant certain trees.

i have spoke with 3 people at jelsons regarding this and nobody is giving me a straight answer,all they keep saying is that jelsons may make me put it back to how it was-how can they if its not part of my restrictions in my deeds?

my solicitor (who i think is affiliated with jelsons somehow) just says that i need to ask their permission,i then ask is it a legal requirement that i do so as its not in my deeds and she doesnt really give me a straight answer.

in my opinion all these people who are avoiding answering me is telling me one thing........they can stop me doing it but they would rather i didnt do it hence the shady answers.

i do not need a drop kerb as there is enough room to drive straight over the pre-existing drop kerb fully onto my property and then turn right onto my lawn.

shall i just go ahead and do it?

im not big on the legal mumbo-jumbo so how would it be worded in my deeds if it was a restriction?

i am going to see the site manager on monday to see if he can shed any light.

i just want a simple straight yes on no.......

thanks in advance

Riggyman

Who the !!!! are Jelsons?

Just do it.

the_shreksta

Riggyman wrote: »

Who the !!!! are Jelsons?

Just do it.

thats my way of thinking

PField

Cant imagine how that could be in a restrictive covenant. You are not building anything. Your grass has died and your temporarily storing some gravel.
You could just cover the lawn with some parking mesh like this

http://www.grassmats.co.uk/car-parking-mesh/

baldelectrician

I am planning 65 sq m of tarmac at my house.


There is new permiable tarmac that lets the water run through.


You could use that

singhini

I did exactly the same thing as your planning to do i.e. gravel over some grass (I have a double garage and just to the left of it I have a piece of grass which is about 12 x 12 foot) I put weed killer on it, put down some weed fabric and then some stones and created some extra parking. However I did write a letter to my local planning dept to enquire even though I knew it was allowable (just inacse any neighbours tried to complain).


My understanding is the same as the OP i.e. "You will not need planning permission if a new or replacement driveway of any size uses permeable (or porous) surfacing which allows water to drain through, such as gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt, or if the rainwater is directed to a lawn or border to drain naturally".


Again my understanding is you only need planning permission if the surface is going to be "non-permeable AND greater than 5 square meters".
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permeable-surfacing-of-front-gardens-guidance


If you don't have any restrictions on your deeds then I cant see how they can force you to put it back the same as before


My advice is make an enquiry by writing a letter to your local planning department to clarify that its OK for you to use a porous material such as pea shingle stones (i.e. cover your back with the council by being pro active and making an enquiry).


Also make a note of who and when you spoke to at Jelsons and what was said (ideally write a letter to them explaining what you intend to do and that you have consulted the local planning department and what you planning is permissible. Also state when you are planning to carry out the work and if they don't contact you prior to this date you will interpret this to mean their OK with everything).

glasgowdan

My advice is to stop wasting time worrying about jelsons and the council and just do your landscaping work. All you've done is to alert everyone to keep an eye on what you're doing.

Davesnave

You have made the classic mistake of having the solicitor the builders recommended, so you won't get a straight answer from them.

There is probably no legal 'mumbo jumbo,' just the question of whether covenants mention surfaces. If they don't, they don't.

The council won't care.

So it looks as if you can get on with it....

Oh sh*t, it's raining!

the_shreksta

Davesnave wrote: »

You have made the classic mistake of having the solicitor the builders recommended, so you won't get a straight answer from them.

There is probably no legal 'mumbo jumbo,' just the question of whether covenants mention surfaces. If they don't, they don't.

The council won't care.

So it looks as if you can get on with it....

Oh sh*t, it's raining!

the only thing it says about surfaces is to not cover any manholes.

Davesnave

the_shreksta wrote: »

the only thing it says about surfaces is to not cover any manholes.

That's sensible advice anywhere.

All the developer really cares about is stuff that might spoil the look of the estate while they are still selling houses, and then only if it's clearly enforceable.

People put all sorts of things down in a garden, like bark mulch, slate, manure and artificial grass, so trying to control all that would be a nightmare, compared with something straightforward, like 'no satellite dishes are allowed in front of the building line.'

the_shreksta

Davesnave wrote: »

That's sensible advice anywhere.

All the developer really cares about is stuff that might spoil the look of the estate while they are still selling houses, and then only if it's clearly enforceable.

People put all sorts of things down in a garden, like bark mulch, slate, manure and artificial grass, so trying to control all that would be a nightmare, compared with something straightforward, like 'no satellite dishes are allowed in front of the building line.'

think i will just get on with it then, its to everyones benefit anyway because if i cant do it it would mean my mrs would have to park on the road so makes sense to let us do it.

thanks guys