Hardstandings and Vehicular Accesses

Introduction

This advice is intended to encourage good practice in forming parking areas, whether or not planning permission is required, as the visual impact of such developments can be significant, especially if not carried out sensitively.

It is not intended for use within Conservation Areas or in respect of Listed Buildings. 

Single family dwellings

Planning Permission

You will not need planning permission if a new driveway uses permeable (or porous) surfacing which allows water to drain through. This can be gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt, or if the rainwater is directed to a lawn or border to drain naturally.

If the surface to be covered is more than five square metres planning permission will be needed for laying traditional, impermeable driveways that do not control rainwater running off onto roads.

Walls

Separate approval is also required under the Hastings Borough Council Act for retaining walls over 1.5m high.  It is important to check with us whether permission is required before starting any work.

Access Points

The formation of a new access point or the alteration of an existing access, onto a classified road (A, B or C road) requires planning permission.  In other case a planning permission is not required.

Flats and commercial properties

The forming of parking areas within the grounds of flats, or some commercial premises, does require planning permission. 

In some cases permission is not required to create a hard surfaced area connected with an industrial use but you should always check with us before starting work.

Design

Care should be taken to retain key features to the sides and fronts of properties wherever possible, as these are very prominent from public view and often define the character of an area.  This could include retaining an area of soft planting around the perimeter of a hardstanding, to help soften the appearance of the surfacing.

Surfacing

The choice of surfacing material can also have a significant impact upon local visual amenities.  The choice of material is likely to be influenced by the typical surfaces found in a particular neighbourhood. 

However, where many driveway and parking areas have been formed with poor quality materials and a lack of attention to hard and soft landscaping, it will be appropriate to create new treatments, rather than following existing examples of poor practice.

Permeable Materials

Use of permeable materials can help to reduce water run-off and the risk of flooding, as well as often resulting in a less stark appearance.  For example, in older parts of the town, materials such as crushed gravel or pea beach may be more appropriate than brick paving stones, which do not tend to be a material historically associated with the locality. 

Use of granite setts could also be considered. These are particularly good for defining existing boundaries, for example across the driveway opening.

Paving Stones

In more recently developed areas, a wider variety of materials is likely to be appropriate, including brick paving stones, but the colour of these should be considered carefully in relation to materials found in the vicinity. 

For example, buff paving stones would not be sympathetic in an area of mainly red brick and tiled properties.  Use of brightly coloured paving stones, such as very pink to red tones, should be generally be avoided.  In all areas, use of unrelieved plain tarmac or concrete surfacing should generally be avoided.

Highways

Care needs to be taken to prevent loose surfacing materials spreading onto the highway, which can cause a hazard to traffic and pedestrians.  In designing parking areas and driveways, the steepness of the gradient should be minimised, as far as the general topography allows.  It should not normally exceed 1 in 9.

Drainage should be provided to prevent water draining off the hardstanding onto the highway.

Boundary Walls

In many areas, boundary treatments such as brick or sandstone walls and piers are important visual features. They should be retained and restored as far as is possible. 

Sandstone walls are a particular feature associated with the town, and should be retained wherever possible.  Where sandstone walls are being removed the stone should be reused within the garden area if possible.

Where it is necessary to remove part of a boundary wall to install a vehicular crossover, the opening should be kept to the minimum width necessary to satisfy Highway Authority standards. 

Any piers removed should be carefully rebuilt or a new pier should be constructed, with matching materials and usually either a natural/reconstituted stone or whitewashed cap, depending on other examples in the locality. 

If gates are to be installed, these should generally reflect the age of the property and not exceed the height of the boundary wall.  Gates must never open out over the highway.

Older Buildings

Older buildings, built up to the mid Victorian period, would usually have cast iron gates, whilst from the 1880s - 1920s, gates would tend to be painted timber.  In the 1930s natural timber gates would often be used.

Walls

If a boundary wall has at some stage in the past been removed, the re-landscaping of a front garden to provide off-road parking may provide an opportunity to reinstate this.  The use of suitable soft planting can help to soften the edges of a new parking area.  Where boundary walls are not generally a characteristic of the area, the use of planting may be particularly important and sufficient space should be left for this to take place.

Parking / Accesses

Where permission is required for accesses and for parking areas, the Council may impose conditions to secure the retention or provision of appropriate boundary and landscaping treatments, and surfacing materials.

Large areas of featureless surfacing and the complete removal of boundary walls can look unattractive.

Size matters

Driveways or parking areas should be of sufficient size to properly accommodate vehicles within the site boundary.  In particular the length should normally be at least 4.8m to avoid vehicles overhanging the pavement. 

Where there are garage doors, a length of 5.5m is usually needed to enable the door to be opened with the car parked on the drive clear of the highway.

Dropped kerbs

When off-street car parking is being provided within the curtilage of a property it will usually mean crossing the pavement and in most cases a dropped kerb or a vehicular crossover will be required.  Section 133 of the Highways Act 1980 enables the highway authority to recover the cost of any damage to the footway that may occur if a proper crossover is not installed.

Access Points

The formation of a new access point or the alteration of an existing access, onto a classified road (A, B or C road) requires planning permission.  In other case a planning permission is not required.

Vehicular Crossover

Permission is always required from the highway authority to install a vehicular crossover and this is in addition to any permissions required and mentioned here. 

This permission should be sought at an early stage to identify any major objections, before the construction of the parking area/garage, and so on.

After a site visit a highway engineer should be able to indicate if permission is likely to be forthcoming.  The engineer will look at such matters as obstructions from street furniture (lamp posts, litter bins, and so on), trees, traffic considerations and potential hazards with the position chosen. 

You will need to pay for the work to be done by an approved contractor.