Do you need planning permission for a new driveway?
Whether a front-garden driveway needs planning permission depends mainly on whether rainwater can drain through the surface.
The rule
- You don't need planning permission for a new or replacement driveway of any size if it uses permeable (porous) surfacing[1].
- If the surface isn't permeable and covers more than five square metres, you will need planning permission[1].
- The government's guidance on front gardens says paving more than five square metres is permitted development only where the surface is made permeable, a rule that took effect on 1 October 2008[2].
Dropped kerbs, walls and gates
To drop a kerb you have to apply to your local council, and walls, fences, gates or a dropped kerb may need planning permission of their own[1].
What to ask your installer
Ask whether the surface they are quoting for is permeable, or where the water from it will drain. If it isn't permeable and the area is large, check with the council's planning department before work starts.
Ask for a quote
Tell us what you need. We'll reply to say which local firm we'd pass your enquiry to, and we only pass it on if you say yes.
Sources
- Planning Portal: paving your front garden, checked 2026-10-21
- GOV.UK: guidance on the permeable surfacing of front gardens, checked 2026-10-21