With car ownership at an all-time high, the competition for parking spaces is fierce. There is nothing worse than getting home after an exhausting day only to have to drive around for ages trying to find a space. Often you need to park a long way from home which is a real inconvenience, especially if you have a car full of kids and/or shopping! If this sounds familiar then you should be trying hard to find a better solution.
There are lots of Apps that rent out parking spaces on a short or long-term basis. Have you looked to see if you can rent a space close to home? Even better, some of us may be able to create a parking space or increase the number of spaces we have, on our own land. If you have a front garden or can access your back garden from the road then this could be possible for you.
The Basics
You will need to check if you need planning permission to create your parking area and make sure that you have enough space for one. You may need to arrange for the kerb to be dropped in front of your parking space.
How Much Space Do I Need?
This depends on your vehicle. Clearly, a scooter, micro car, 4×4 and van all have very different space requirements. The convention for a standard car parking space is 4.8m by 2.4m.
You need to have enough space to park your vehicle fully on your property. If you are on a classified road (A, B or C) you also have to have enough space on your property to turn your vehicle so you can exit your drive facing forwards. You are not allowed to reverse out onto busy roads. There also has to be enough room on one side for pedestrian access to the car and property (usually 1m).
You need to think about access to your rubbish bins and how easily you will be able to manoeuvre them around your car. A good solution is to place them on the boundary of your property and the pavement so you don’t have to wheel them around at all. You will need to secure them in place so they can’t roll into the street. A quick solution is a wheelie bin storage unit. Stick a padlock on it for extra security. If you need to open a garage, gate or door into the parking area you also need to make sure you have enough room for this to happen with the car parked.
Planning Permission
In some cases, you will need planning permission to create a parking area. This is always needed on classified roads (A, B or C) , in a conservation area or if your property is listed or a ‘building of townscape merit’ (BTM). If you plan to cover more than five square metres with a material that does not allow water to drain through or onto a permeable area (like an adjacent flower bed), planning permission will be required.
In most other cases you won’t need planning permission. However, it is better to be safe rather than sorry. Make a quick call to your local planning office and make sure you establish what if any permissions you need and what any restrictions are on the type of materials you should use.
Creating Your Parking Space
This is often referred to as a ‘hard standing’ (also known as a drive, driveway or forecourt). Usually, these parking areas must allow water to run off into the soil below. You can achieve this by leaving drainage channels between concrete or paving slabs or by creating the parking area out of a freely draining material like gravel.
So the basic steps are;
- Lift the turf
First cut the turf into small 1 foot wide squares. You can do this with a spade or lawn edger. Then you need to lift these sections. Don’t try to use a spade straight away. Use a garden fork to loosen the roots first and then you can slip a spade underneath. You can relay the turf elsewhere or stack it in a corner where it will compost.
- Lay a hardcore base
You need a good solid base to provide enough support for the weight of the vehicle. This will stop soil movement, keep the top surface in place and prevent ruts under your tyres. The recommended thicknesses of hardcore is 150mm sub-base and 70mm of 20mm binder course on top. This should be compacted with a proper machine. This article takes you through laying hardcore.
- Lay the top layer or ‘wearing course’
Once you have a good solid base you can top it with a material that will compliment your home. Gravel is quick and easy to lay, you can also choose permeable concrete paving or bricks. You can also use a mixture – solid paving blocks for the tyres interspersed with gravel to provide drainage.
Drop Your Kerb
You can’t just dig up the pavement and lower the kerb due to possible issues with public safety, public transport routes, drainage, utilities and accessibility. The pavement might not be suitable to take the weight of a car either so it may need to be strengthened. UK laws do give you the right to ask your local authority for permission to drop a kerb.
You can use this link to find out where to apply for a dropped kerb. Just enter your postcode and you will be taken to the relevant page of your local authorities website. This will tell you how to apply, what the costs are and provide information about relevant restrictions. The process and costs vary between councils so you do need to read their information carefully.
Be aware that your local authority will not pay for the work or, in most cases, do it for you. You need to use one of their approved contractors who you will need to pay and there will also be a license fee payable to your local council and possibly application or processing fees.
In Kirklees, the contractor will cost £500-£600 and the license fee is £139. Expect to pay more in London. For example, In Richmond there is an application fee of £244. If the application is accepted you then have to pay an administration fee of £818 to the council. After you have paid a contractor expect the total cost to be £2000-£2,500!
You need to provide accurate measurements of the pavement outside your home and exactly where the dropped kerb and access to your parking area will be. In most cases you also need to have constructed your parking area before work can start on the kerb. But you shouldn’t start work on your parking area until your initial application for the kerb to be lowered has been accepted.
London – if your property is on one of London’s red routes then you need to also get permission from Tfl!
