Driveway

Pok3mon

User4search said:

Ok good solution.  There are pillers at both sides as you can see in pic. Are they placed by council or can that be removed to increase the parking after removing trees? 

Parking place is very sloppy as well and concrete is coming off. I like to digg up that and flatten the surface as well. Will that be issue? Do I need to use concrete only or can I go for block or other sort of paving? 

Do I need to still ask for council planning approval or just inform them ?

I would feel the posts will belong to the house.

Digging / leveling out will need additional work to retain the earth. There is many ways to do this. If the look is not too important and cementing anyway it could be done by shuttering and back filling with cement.

You are also presuming the council have the dimensions.

As for contacting the council about anything in my experience it just opens cans of worms. 

Sometimes it is easier to seek forgiveness than permission.

Another thought if you removed the trees and extended could you park 2/3 cars parallel to the road?

Section62

Pok3mon said:

You are also presuming the council have the dimensions.

The council don't need the dimensions.

They could for example just look on Streetview and compare the 'after' situation with any one of the previous Streetview car visits, currently going all the way back to 2009.

Or EA pictures archived on one of the property websites.

Or they could be one of the authorities that carry out their own periodic video inspection of main roads.

These days it is nuts to think you can do any building work within sight of a main road and there not be some photographic record which will show exactly what you've done, and approximately when.

Pok3mon said:

As for contacting the council about anything in my experience it just opens cans of worms. 

Sometimes it is easier to seek forgiveness than permission.

The OP will want to be in touch with the planners at some point about other plans he has.  Even if nobody notices or complains about the driveway work now, that 'can of worms' will be opened when he needs permission for the other work. Not doing it now just delays the inevitable.

Section62

User4search said:

There are pillers at both sides as you can see in pic.

I think you are talking about concrete gateposts, which would normally belong to you.

User4search said:

Parking place is very sloppy as well and concrete is coming off. I like to digg up that and flatten the surface as well. Will that be issue?

Along with all the other issues, you've also got a BT phone pole and staywire on the edge of that area.  It appears to have wires coming down the side which would then run underground in a duct to the chamber in the footway. (There's a concrete 'GPO' marker post by the gateposts)

If you try digging down you risk damaging the duct and undermining the phone pole support.  So you will need to get BT to come out and inspect their equipment and advise you on how that affects your plans. The pole looks old and not in very good condition, so they will possibly try to get you to pay for a replacement pole.

User4search said:

Do I need to still ask for council planning approval or just inform them ?

I think you need to ask the council whether you need to make an application for planning consent.  But to do that you need to be very clear in your own mind exactly what you want to do, and communicate that accurately to them.  E.g. if you tell them you just want to repave the drive, but then decide to lower and widen it as well, the advice you were previously given would no longer apply.

Norman_Castle

User4search said:

Thanks previous owner used to park 2 cars there. I am looking to get extra bit of space , may be couple of more feets so I can park 2nd car more comfortably.  

Removing the slabs and some soil would give extra space to open a car door over.

User4search

I have spoken with a member of planning team in council . She said she does not see any issue with leveling or widening the driveway little bit. Unless it would be above the limit suggested on their document online. For removal of trees she has asked me to check with other team in council to Find out if my property is in preservation area.  

If I need anything in written then she has asked me to apply for certificate of lawful development   means planning permission. 

For bt pole issue , bt asked me to contact other company that manages the pole or cabs etc .  I then asked that company to remove pole on back of safety issue as it blocks my visibility while reversing car from driveway. They will take time to resoond

Jenni_D

User4search said:

For bt pole issue , bt asked me to contact other company that manages the pole or cabs etc .  I then asked that company to remove pole on back of safety issue as it blocks my visibility while reversing car from driveway. They will take time to resoond

That seems somewhat tenuous given that the pole is next to the front nearside wheel arch when the car is parked, and you won't be looking in that direction if reversing off the drive. 🙄 (Your own photos prove this).