What a dropped kerb is and why the council decides
A dropped kerb, or vehicle crossover, is a strengthened section of footway that lets a vehicle cross the pavement. Rhondda Cynon Taf explains that anyone who wants to drive across a footway or verge to park on their property must have a crossover built under section 184 of the Highways Act 1980. Driving across a public footpath without a properly constructed footway crossing is illegal.
Highways and planning are separate
The council is the highway authority, so the crossover is a highways matter and not part of the driveway surface itself. The surface on your own land is covered by planning rules, which the guide to resin bound and resin bonded driveways explains.
Why you should apply first
A drive without a lawful crossing cannot be used legally, however good the surface is. If you apply before you order materials, you find out about refusals, planning needs and costs while you can still change the plan.
When planning permission is also needed
In addition to the council's permission as highway authority, you may need planning permission to create a vehicular access. Rhondda Cynon Taf says planning permission is generally needed in these cases, though the list is not exhaustive:
- access is onto a classified or trunk road
- access is to a commercial property
- access is to a maisonette or a property divided into flats
- access is to a listed building
- access is in a conservation area
- access is likely to affect a tree protected by a Tree Preservation Order
The applicant is responsible for checking and for obtaining planning permission before applying for the crossover. Where permission has been given, a copy of the consent letter, approved plans and conditions must go in with the crossover application.
What the council considers
Safety
An application can be refused or modified on grounds of highway and pedestrian safety. Rhondda Cynon Taf lists places where manoeuvring can be hazardous, including onto a road with high traffic speeds, on the approach to signal junctions where queues form, onto a roundabout, within pedestrian crossing zig-zags, and at bus stops.
Parking inside the property
The vehicle must be parked wholly within the property. The council says any vehicle overhanging the footway commits an offence under section 137 of the Highways Act 1980, and that the crossover may not be used as a parking area.
Neighbours and second crossovers
To limit the effect on neighbours, a crossover should normally be provided only over the footway fronting the applicant's property. Historic crossovers do not set a precedent. The council lists a second crossover as a possible case where the property already has one and a second would allow additional cars to park on the forecourt.
Approval with changes
Rhondda Cynon Taf says residents may ask the highway authority to construct a crossover, and the authority may approve the request with or without modifications, propose alternative works, or reject it. You should treat the first application as the start of a conversation, not a yes or no.
Conservation areas
If the property falls within a conservation area, the council says the crossover will be built in keeping with the surface of the footway. Once built, the crossover forms part of the public highway and the council maintains it.
How the process works
Rhondda Cynon Taf describes this sequence. Councils differ, so check your own council's page.
- Apply online with a photo or sketch of the proposed dropped kerb area. An inspector approves or rejects the application in principle, and an approval is valid for 12 months.
- If approved, further forms ask for details of the contractor you want to use and their insurance, and for the start date. You must return the forms at least seven days before work begins.
- An approved contractor builds the crossover, in general in tarmac or block paving to match the existing footway.
- On completion you confirm the work, an inspector visits, and if it meets the specification the council confirms it and maintains the crossover as part of the highway.
If the work does not meet the specification
The council says further improvement work is required until the specification is met, and it carries out inspections at regular intervals while the crossover is built. You should ask your contractor who pays for rework before you accept their quote.
Fees and costs
The application fee
Gwynedd Council charges a non-refundable fee of £276, paid before the council reviews the application. If a dropped kerb is acceptable, the licence is granted after a 10 working day consultation period. Other councils charge different fees or quote after inspection.
Why councils charge
Rhondda Cynon Taf says the Local Authorities (Transport Charges) Regulations 1998 authorise councils to charge for dealing with specified highway matters, and that considering a request to construct a vehicle crossover is a chargeable function. The fee therefore pays for the council's assessment, not for the building work.
The construction cost
Rhondda Cynon Taf says the construction cost varies with the work needed. The council lists factors that raise the price: impact on street lighting, trees, signposts and parking bays; the width of the footpath and crossover; planning permission; H-bar road markings if you want one; subcontractors; and utility covers that need altering. A discounted rate may apply if the council is already planning footway works at that location.
H-bar markings
If you want to discourage parking in front of your crossover, Rhondda Cynon Taf offers an advisory white H-bar marking for an additional fee, installed by an approved road marking contractor. The council says obstructing a vehicle crossing is an obstruction of the highway whether a marking is present or not, and parking enforcement officers can issue tickets but have no power to remove the vehicle.
Two councils compared
| Gwynedd | Rhondda Cynon Taf | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Section 184 licence under the Highways Act | Section 184 of the Highways Act 1980 |
| Fee stated | £276, non-refundable, paid before review | Chargeable, amount not in the guidance |
| Process stated | Inspection, then a 10 working day consultation | Online form, approval in principle valid 12 months, further forms, inspection on completion |
| Planning permission | Not mentioned on the page | Listed cases, applicant must check |
| Who builds | Not mentioned on the page | A suitably approved contractor |
Why this matters for a resin or paved drive
A new drive without a lawful crossover is a problem even if the surface is correct. Get the crossover approved first, and build the drive to the Welsh front-garden surface rule. The Welsh Government says a hard surface at the front of a house must be permeable or drain to a permeable area, unless it is a repair of up to 5 square metres. 45 Welsh businesses list resin bound driveway work. The flooring fitting costs guide has the sourced resin driveway price, and the guide to hiring a flooring fitter lists the checks to make before you sign.
What this page does not cover
The page reports the rules of two councils, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Gwynedd, and the Welsh Government driveway page. The other 20 Welsh councils may set different fees and conditions, and the Gwynedd page does not mention planning permission or approved contractors. Cardiff and Newport pages could not be read for this guide. Check your own council's highways page before you order any work.