Dropped kerb licence

You need a licence to put in a dropped kerb. You can only use us or a contractor who is authorised to work on the highway to do the work or widen an existing dropped kerb.

Cost

It costs £331.50 to apply for a dropped kerb licence.

Using a contractor

The contractor must:

• be qualified to work on the highway with supervisor and operative qualifications recognised on the Street Works Register
• have at least £5 million public liability insurance, suitable for highways work
• apply for a licence to allow them to work on the highway
• agree to our terms and conditions when they apply
• let us know when the work will be done

Let the contractor know that you have checked if you need planning permission and tell them the planning reference if you have applied for planning permission.

Site inspections

Once we receive a licence application from the contractor, we visit the site to check that it's suitable. If the site is suitable, we will let your contractor know that the work can start.

We will come out to inspect the work and make sure it has been done to our specification. If we are not told about the work, it could cause problems if you move out of your property.

Using the council

You can ask us for a quote for a dropped kerb. As a guideline, a typical 5 metre dropped kerb on a 1.8 metre wide footway costs around £2,000.

Get a quote

Check if your property is suitable

Space on the driveway

There must be at least 5 metres between the back of the pavement (or top of your driveway) and your property. This is so that a vehicle can be parked on the driveway without overhanging the pavement.

Planning permission

You might need planning permission if you are constructing a driveway on your property or if you live in:

• an A, B or C class road
• a conservation area
• a property with multiple occupancy
• a listed building

If you live on a private road, you must get permission from the landowner.

Parking restrictions

If there are parking restrictions on the road outside your property, such as parking bays or residents parking, you need to email us to ask for a change to parking restrictions. This is to make sure access to your driveway isn't blocked.

Safety

You must be able to safely get on and off your drive. This means that your drive is a safe distance from junctions and you can see clearly in both directions.

Developers

If you are building a group of houses or other development and the new access is not covered by a section 38 or 278 agreement, contact us to discuss what you have planned.