Driveways
Dropped Kerbs & Driveway Drainage in West Yorkshire
Council-compliant vehicle crossovers, channel drains and soakaways built for Yorkshire weather.
Dropped Kerbs & Drainage
Dropped Kerbs & Drainage by a City & Guilds approved team
If you want to park on your front garden, you will usually need a dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) so you can drive on and off legally. Good drainage is just as important: water needs somewhere to go, both to protect your driveway and to keep it within planning rules.
We build vehicle crossovers, install channel drains and create soakaways across Pontefract and West Yorkshire, often as part of a new driveway, so everything is planned and finished together.
Legal access
Driving over a full-height kerb is not allowed and can damage the pavement and your car.
Drainage done right
Channel drains and soakaways stop water pooling on your drive or running onto the road.
Planning compliant
The right drainage keeps non-permeable driveways within the rules.
One team
We can plan your crossover, drainage and new driveway as a single job.
When a crossover is possible, and when the answer is no
Not every frontage qualifies for a new access. Highway authorities typically want enough depth for a vehicle to sit fully within the boundary, because a bonnet overhanging the footway is what they aim to prevent. Lamp columns, street trees, inspection chambers and nearby junctions can all lead to refusal, or to expensive diversions. Classified roads may also demand planning permission on top of the kerb application. Sometimes the wiser route is rear access, a shared entrance or simply keeping the garden. Rules on who may carry out the work differ too, with certain councils doing it themselves and others insisting on an approved contractor, so check that before anything else. Paving a parking space first is a costly gamble; get written approval in hand, then design the driveway around whatever width the authority allows.
Getting crossover levels right
A vehicle crossing looks simple, yet the levels decide whether it works. Pavements usually tilt gently towards the road, and that crossfall has to be kept so pedestrians and wheelchair users are not tipped sideways. Lower the kerb too little and low-slung cars ground out on the lip; lower it too much and a hollow forms that collects rainwater at the boundary. Height differences between the footway and a drive also need managing, as a steep ramp can catch exhausts. Construction depth is a frequent weakness, since slabs meant for walkers crack beneath cars and need replacing with a thicker build. Existing covers may have to be reset to the new level, with the utility company involved. Finally, water must not run from private land across the pavement, so any driveway meeting the highway needs its own interception.
How it works, step by step
- Step 1
Advice & permission
We explain what the council needs for a dropped kerb and help you with the application.
- Step 2
Survey
We check levels, existing drainage and where water should go.
- Step 3
Installation
Kerbs, drains and soakaways are installed to the required specification.
- Step 4
Finish
The area is made good and tied into your driveway surface.
FAQs
Dropped Kerbs & Drainage: your questions answered
Can't see your question? Call Sean on 07860 510073 or read our general FAQs.
Do I need permission for a dropped kerb?
Yes. A dropped kerb crosses the public footpath, so you need approval from your local highways authority, such as Wakefield Council, before any work is done. We can talk you through the process.
Why is water pooling on my driveway?
Usually because the falls are wrong or there is nowhere for water to drain. A channel drain, soakaway or regrading of the surface can fix it.
Do I need drainage for a new driveway?
If the surface is not permeable and covers more than 5 square metres of a front garden, rainwater must drain to a soakaway or permeable area on your property. Permeable surfaces like resin bound avoid this.
