Paving Your Front Garden
There is an enormous amount of confusion at the moment regarding new rules and regulations concerning paving the front of your home.
The main aim of the new regulations, brought into effect in England on October 1st 2008, is to reduce the risk of flooding, by reducing water runoff from your property, onto highways and into sewer systems. The legislation is designed to encourage sustainable thinking when it comes to planning drainage at the front of your property. Rear garden patios, courtyards and paving to the sides of the property are not affected.
You will NOT need planning permission if a new driveway uses permeable (or porous) surfacing which allows water to drain through, such as 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. (http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/genpub/en)
Therefore, permeable block paving is an option that can be considered, but there are ways that standard block paving can be laid in order to fit within the guidelines of the new legislation.
The real key to abiding by the legislation is to ensure that surface water runoff is intercepted (and then fed to a sustainable drainage installation) before it reaches the public highway and the already overburdened sewer system.
Soakaways are seen by many contractors as one of the most economical and efficient methods of implementing a Sustainable Drainage System (the term Sustainable Drainage covers the methods of dealing with excess and waste water in an ecological and environmentally sound manner). Soakaways are a relatively simple, yet effective method for dispersing surface water. In very simple terms, soakaways are holes in the hard landscaping that allow water to drain straight into the ground as oppose to a man made network of pipes and sewers. The ground itself has a large capacity for storing water and by directing run off there; it can significantly reduce the risk of flooding. It is important to note that soakaways will not work in every situation and as such it is recommended that a drainage expert is consulted prior to installing such a system.
If you require any help, please give us a call on 0800 032 6306 and we will try and assist you in all aspects of your landscaping project.
