Driveway planning and dropped kerbs in Liverpool

Before deciding on resin, block paving or tarmac, check how vehicles will reach the driveway and where rainwater will go. The driveway surface and access across the pavement involve separate checks.

Check the crossing before starting work

Liverpool City Council accepts applications to lower the kerb for driveway access. Its guidance says planning permission may also be needed on a main road, in a conservation area, or when a garden becomes a driveway. If you use your own contractor for the crossing, the council says a Section 50 street works application is required.

Check the council’s current dropped-kerb application guidance for your property. We do not promise approval or offer council-authorised crossing work through this guide.

Ask how the driveway will drain

Government guidance distinguishes porous surfaces and driveways draining naturally into a lawn or border from impermeable front-garden paving. An impermeable area over five square metres that does not drain to a permeable area needs planning permission under that guidance. The complete construction matters; the surface name alone does not establish permeability.

Read the government’s front-garden surfacing guidance, and confirm property-specific restrictions with the relevant council before work begins.

Prepare a clearer quote request

Send your postcode, photos, approximate driveway dimensions, preferred surface and details of existing vehicle access. Ask the installer to explain drainage, preparation and what the written quote includes. Compare resin-bound driveway options with the other driveway surfaces.

Council and government sources checked 13 October 2026.