Council consent first
A dropped kerb, known officially as a vehicle crossing, is work on the public highway, so it needs consent from Hartlepool Borough Council as the highway authority. The council looks at visibility, the distance from junctions, street trees, lamp posts and other street furniture, and whether there is enough depth in your front garden to park without the car overhanging the footpath. If the road is a classified road, planning permission may be needed as well.
How we help
We can talk through whether your frontage is likely to be suitable, help you gather what the application asks for, and plan the new drive so its levels meet the lowered kerb cleanly. The council will explain who is allowed to carry out the work on the footpath itself, and we fit our work around that.
Getting the levels right
The finished drive needs to fall gently towards the road or a drain, without channelling rain into the house or across the footpath. Where the garden sits higher than the pavement, as it often does on sloping streets, we may need to grade the drive or add a retaining edge.
Before you start
Don't book a new drive until the crossing has been agreed in principle. A beautiful driveway you can't legally drive onto is an expensive mistake.
