Have you been considering if turning your front garden into extra parking is right for you? Creating additional off-street parking can really add considerable value to your home, especially for housing in expensive urban areas. It can be an ideal solution if you struggle for parking, have multiple vehicles and have enough space in the front.

The good news is that in many cases you do not need planning permission to create or replace a driveway. It comes down to area, material and ensuring you have PD rights. If it is a porous material, such as gravel or permeable asphalt or block paving and you have PD rights, you usually will not require planning permission. If it is more than five square metres of impermeable material, planning permissions will most likely be required.

A paved drive needs to have a dropped kerb for easy access. If you already have a partially paved or paved front garden, you need to ensure that it was designed for parking on, as if not, it will not be suitable due to not having enough hardcore underneath. If this is the case, it will not take the weight of a car.