Steep driveway/Retaining wall

Potlaw

Hello All.

My girlfriend and I recently purchased a house atop a hill, which has a steep garden leading to a small retaining wall at the bottom. We’re considering digging out a driveway. Next door have dug theirs out completely and have a large (probably around 8ft) retaining wall. We’re not desperate, it’s just an idea for the future, our small retaining wall is starting to bulge and the grass is a pain to mow at the moment.

I’m not sure on the aesthetic of next door’s and I know it was done cheap a few years back by a friend.

I have a few questions as follows:
Does work like this need planning permission (I’m assuming it will)?
How much will it cost (roughly) to dig it out completely and build a full retaining wall? I think we’d likely gravel the bottom, no fancy paving.
If we did dig it out completely should I have any concerns about subsidence?
What about leaving a slight slope and having a smaller retaining wall?
How much is it on average for a kerb to be dropped by the council?
Has anyone else done anything similar?

For costs etc we’re based near a city centre up north. Tell me if I’d be better to just forget about it.

Thanks in advance.

Aylesbury_Duck

I'll have a go but without a sketch and approximate dimensions it's impossible to give much help.

Potlaw wrote: »

Hello All.

My girlfriend and I recently purchased a house atop a hill, which has a steep garden leading to a small retaining wall at the bottom. We’re considering digging out a driveway. Next door have dug theirs out completely and have a large (probably around 8ft) retaining wall. We’re not desperate, it’s just an idea for the future, our small retaining wall is starting to bulge and the grass is a pain to mow at the moment.

I’m not sure on the aesthetic of next door’s and I know it was done cheap a few years back by a friend. be careful. It sounds like there'll be a lot of soil held back by a tall wall. Doing it on the cheap might lead to all sorts of problems later on, possibly even a dangerous problem. Fancy digging your car out of a pile of mud and bricks one morning after heavy rain?

I have a few questions as follows:
Does work like this need planning permission (I’m assuming it will)? possibly. Ask the council
How much will it cost (roughly) to dig it out completely and build a full retaining wall? I think we’d likely gravel the bottom, no fancy paving. No one will be able to give any idea without dimensions but do some quick volume calculations and see how many skips of soil will need taking away at probably £250 a skip. Don't forget that dug soil has much more volume than the compacted volume. You could easily spend a couple of thousand on just the skips.
If we did dig it out completely should I have any concerns about subsidence? yes, that's why you shouldn't get a mate to do it on the cheap
What about leaving a slight slope and having a smaller retaining wall?
How much is it on average for a kerb to be dropped by the council? no one will know what the average is, best just to ask them.
Has anyone else done anything similar?

For costs etc we’re based near a city centre up north. Tell me if I’d be better to just forget about it.

Thanks in advance.

Potlaw

Thank you for the response, I realise I was vague. I tried to upload a photo but it wouldn’t let me post a link as a new member!

I think the first step will be to contact the council and see what they say.

Davesnave

This wall would face a road. If it is going to be 8' high, it will need planning permission.

To be safe, the specs will probably need to be drawn up with the guidance of a structural engineer and presented with the planning application.

The council will insist on one of their approved contractors for dropped kerbs. Sorry, no idea of current costs

markin

Dropped kerbs are from £800 to 3,000, I would do that first even if you don't do anything else for years, Its first come first served, at some point they will say the is too little public parking and deny you.