Lay more than five square metres of impermeable paving at the front of your home, with the rainwater running off towards the road, and you need planning permission before a single block goes down. Choose a permeable surface, or drain the water into your own garden, and you usually do not. That one rule shapes more driveway decisions than colour, pattern or price, and plenty of homeowners only find out about it after they have fallen in love with the wrong material.
This guide covers what actually matters when you are choosing a new driveway. Materials, drainage, groundwork and what to expect from the process when Parklane Landscaping handles the job.
In most cases, no. Permitted development rules let you replace or install a driveway of any size without applying to the council, provided the surface is permeable, or the run-off is directed to a lawn or border within your own boundary. Resin-bound surfaces, gravel, and permeable block paving are typically eligible.
The five-square-metre rule only bites when you want a sealed, impermeable surface that drains onto the highway. If that describes your plan, an application to your local council comes first. The Planning Portal provides full guidance, and it is worth 10 minutes of reading before you commit to anything.
There is a separate point worth knowing. If your new driveway needs a dropped kerb to cross the pavement, that is a different application made to the highways authority, not part of planning permission. A good installer will tell you this at the survey stage rather than leaving you to discover it mid-project.
Hard-wearing, fast to lay and cost-effective over large areas. Tarmac copes well with heavy vehicles and daily turning. It offers less design flexibility than block paving, so it tends to suit homeowners who value usefulness over pattern.
A cobbled finish sits alongside these four for anyone after a more traditional look. The honest answer to choosing between them is that it is much easier in person. Sample boards and photographs of finished driveways tell you more in five minutes than any blog post can.
The part of a driveway you never see is the part that determines whether it will still be flat in 15 years. Sinking, cracking, and puddling almost always trace back to what lies under the surface, not the surface itself.
Proper preparation means excavating to the right depth, laying and compacting a sub-base suited to the ground conditions, and installing drainage so water has somewhere to go. Parklane Landscaping handles the full sequence on every driveway, from groundwork and drainage through to edging and the final surface finish. Drainage matters doubly during a wet British winter, when heavy rain will find any low spot in a driveway.
When you compare quotes, ask each installer exactly what depth they excavate to and what sub-base they lay. A cheap quote that skips on groundwork is not a cheap driveway. It is an expensive one on a delay.
Every project starts with a free consultation and site survey. The space gets measured and assessed, you talk through how you use the driveway day to day, and you get honest recommendations on materials and layout, along with a no-obligation quote. Materials come from trusted UK suppliers, and the job is fully project-managed with definite timelines, so you know who is on site and when.
A well-built driveway can increase property value and certainly improve kerb appeal, since it is the first thing buyers and visitors see. The bigger gain for most homeowners is practical. A surface that drains properly, resists weeds and stays flat saves money and irritation every year you live with it.
Usually not. Resin-bound surfaces are permeable, so rainwater drains through them rather than running onto the road, which means they fall within permitted development in most cases. If your property is listed or in a conservation area, check with your local council first, as different rules can apply.
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We chose Parklane following a recommendation and during the initial consultation, we stressed that we needed the work completed by a set date due to a very important 40th Birthday party we had planned, no pressure!!! The owner, Dan was honest with us and promised he would complete the job on time but this would require them completing the work in stages which we were happy with and also completely understood due to us leaving the request to the last minute, top tip as they are a busy company, consult with them early as they are in demand!!! As promised the work was completed on time and the finished product is amazing. The team that completed the work were friendly, neat and professional. I even caught one of them washing the front of the house after mixing some mortar which was not expected and shows their pride. The end product rendered us speechless, we were so pleased with the result and the reactions from our party guests were as expected, everyone wanted Parklanes number… I would fully recommend Parklane and we are completely satisfied with their work.
