Where to ask if i need planning permission ?

A_Aardvarkie

I am planning to have my existing drive plus garden block paved (permeable). I want to improve access, since neighbours block my driveway. In front of the garden is an existing dropped kerb but between the kerb and the garden is a narrow grass verge, 2m x 7m. This strip isn't included in my boundary. I would like the option to drive over this verge from the road. The road is "Road Class: U - Unclass Adopted Metalled". Ideally I'd like to change this grass verge to a hardstanding material. I don't know if or who i need to get permission from.

My district council is New Forest, my county council is Hampshire. The district council said I don't need planning permission but if i needed a dropped kerb i would need to apply to the county council, the kerb doesn't need dropping. Even if the road is Unclassified I still expect permission is needed from someone ?

Rodders53

"Dropped Kerb" equals or is equivalent to a legal crossing of footpath/verge from highway to your property.

So CC Highways will need to approve (and it will need doing by an approved contractor).  Probably.

{NB the grass may well be a 'services strip' and contain pipes and ducts for stuff like water, drains, telecomms, electricity and gas.  Those need protection from being driven over that may not exist with a simple mud and grass strip and is why the Highways will be involved and have specs to be met = 'approved contractors' doing it.}

A_Aardvarkie

Rodders53 said:

"Dropped Kerb" equals or is equivalent to a legal crossing of footpath/verge from highway to your property.

So CC Highways will need to approve (and it will need doing by an approved contractor).  Probably.

{NB the grass may well be a 'services strip' and contain pipes and ducts for stuff like water, drains, telecomms, electricity and gas.  Those need protection from being driven over that may not exist with a simple mud and grass strip and is why the Highways will be involved and have specs to be met = 'approved contractors' doing it.}

Thanks I was going to apply to the CC Highways but when i found the classification of the road & it said planning permission wasn't required for unclassified roads. I guess I can still put in an application

theoretica

Who owns the grass strip?  You would need owner's permission as well as the planning/highways you have looked up.

johnhenstock

There’s some confusion here: an application for a dropped kerb has nothing to do with planning permission. Getting a dropped kerb, for example, doesn’t mean you will actually have a driveway.

A_Aardvarkie

theoretica said:

Who owns the grass strip?  You would need owner's permission as well as the planning/highways you have looked up.

I don't know who owns it. That's part of the problem. I assume it's highways

sheramber

You say neighbours block your drive so presumably you have access from the dropped kerb to an existing driveway.

Do you want to extend the entrance to your garden when paved?

Does the dropped kerb need extended or does it already extend beyond the grass strip?

PixelPound

A_Aardvarkie said:

theoretica said:

Who owns the grass strip?  You would need owner's permission as well as the planning/highways you have looked up.

I don't know who owns it. That's part of the problem. I assume it's highways

Could be the developers, a so called "ransom strip".

Dustyevsky

A_Aardvarkie said:

Rodders53 said:

"Dropped Kerb" equals or is equivalent to a legal crossing of footpath/verge from highway to your property.

So CC Highways will need to approve (and it will need doing by an approved contractor).  Probably.

{NB the grass may well be a 'services strip' and contain pipes and ducts for stuff like water, drains, telecomms, electricity and gas.  Those need protection from being driven over that may not exist with a simple mud and grass strip and is why the Highways will be involved and have specs to be met = 'approved contractors' doing it.}

Thanks I was going to apply to the CC Highways but when i found the classification of the road & it said planning permission wasn't required for unclassified roads. I guess I can still put in an application

PP isn't required for direct access to a private or unclassified road from a private residence, but you are not accessing the road directly. Instead, you hope to pass over someone else's land. That someone might be the council or another entity, but regardless, you'll need their agreement.

The council probably won't involve themselves in your legal ability to cross that strip if it isn't part of their land.