Do you need planning permission for a dropped kerb?

Planning permission and dropped kerb permission are two separate things. The highway authority decides whether you can cross the pavement. Your local planning authority decides whether you need planning permission. You may need both. Here's how to tell, for England (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own planning rules).

Do I need planning permission? Quick decision flow

1. Is the road a trunk road or a classified road (an A, B or C road)?Yes: you need planning permission. Permitted development for a new access only applies to roads that are not trunk or classified roads. No: go to question 2.

2. Is the property a house (not a flat, maisonette or business)?No: you'll usually need planning permission, because the permitted development rights for driveways only cover houses. Yes: go to question 3.

3. Will the new hard surface in front of the house be more than 5 m², non-porous and not drain into the garden?Yes: you need planning permission for the driveway. Use permeable paving or drain the run-off to a lawn or border instead and you won't. No: go to question 4.

4. Is it a listed building, or in a conservation area?Yes: check with your planning authority. Several councils (Plymouth, Sheffield and Suffolk, for example) say you need planning permission here. No: go to question 5.

5. Will you raise or lower ground levels significantly, or remove walls or gates?Yes: check with your planning authority (Plymouth lists raising by 0.5 m or lowering by 1 m as triggers). No: you probably don't need planning permission. Many highway authorities still want written confirmation.

The rules behind this

The access. In England, Class B of Part 2 of Schedule 2 to the General Permitted Development Order 2015 permits forming a means of access to a highway "which is not a trunk road or a classified road", where the access is needed for other permitted development. So on A, B and C roads you need planning permission.

The driveway. Class F of Part 1 covers hard surfaces at a house. If the area in front of the house is more than 5 m², the surface must be porous, or the run-off must drain to a permeable area within the property. GOV.UK has guidance on permeable front gardens.

Flats and businesses. Class F applies to dwellinghouses only, so flats, maisonettes and commercial premises don't get it. Plymouth and Bristol both list flats as needing planning permission.

Not sure? Ask your planning authority for a lawful development certificate. It's formal confirmation that you don't need planning permission, and the fee for a proposed use is half the normal planning fee (Planning Portal). Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire accept this kind of written confirmation with a dropped kerb application.

Planning fees (England, from 1 April 2026)

Application type	Fee
Householder: operations within the boundary of a house (e.g. a driveway), or gates, fences and walls along the boundary	£272
Construction of car parks, service roads and other means of access (for existing uses)	£309
Lawful development certificate (proposed use or development)	Half the normal fee

We don't make planning applications for anyone. You apply to your local planning authority directly, usually online through the Planning Portal (England and Wales). Which fee applies to your project is for your planning authority to confirm. Planning decisions take up to 8 weeks for this kind of application (Derby says so), so allow for it before applying for the dropped kerb itself.

Who needs planning permission first? What councils say

Kent: planning permission, or written confirmation you don't need it, from your borough or district council.
Surrey: needs the planning approval or confirmation, which can take up to 6 weeks.
Hampshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Derby: always on A, B or C roads.
Manchester: planning permission is required on all roads that aren't unclassified, and all driveways must be permeable.
Coventry: says that if the council's own contractor builds the crossing you won't need planning permission, but with an external contractor you need the correct permission. Access onto classified roads always needs it.

Check your own council in our council guides, or try the eligibility checker.

Questions people ask

Do I need planning permission for a dropped kerb on an unclassified road?

Usually not for a house in England, as long as the driveway is permeable (or drains into the garden) and the property isn't listed. Many councils still want written confirmation.

Does gravel count as permeable?

Gravel is porous for planning purposes, but some highway authorities won't accept loose gravel next to the pavement: Nottingham City Council asks for permeable, bound materials and no loose gravel.

What about Wales and Scotland?

Wales and Scotland have their own permitted development rules, so check with your local planning authority. The highway consent is separate in every nation.

Sources (official, checked 3 October 2026)