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  1. Welcome to Planning Portal
  2. Do you need permission?
  3. Common projects
  4. Patio and driveway
  5. Planning permission

Patio and driveway

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  1. Planning permission
  2. Building regulations
  3. Sustainability
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Planning permission

Please note: different rules apply to paving over your front garden.

Elsewhere around your house there are no restrictions on the area of land which you can cover with hard surfaces at, or near, ground level.

However, significant works of embanking or terracing to support a hard surface might need a planning application.

If you live in a listed building, you will need listed building consent for any significant works whether internal or external.

Please note: The permitted development allowances described here apply to houses and not to:

  • Flats and maisonettes (view our guidance on flats and maisonettes) 
  • Converted houses or houses created through the ‘permitted development’ rights for:
    • ‘Changes of use’ (Schedule 2, Part 3, Classes G; M; MA; N; P; PA and Q) (as detailed in our change of use section)
    • ‘New Dwellinghouses’ (Schedule 2, Part 20)
  • Other buildings
  • Areas where there may be a planning condition, Article 4 Direction or other restriction that limits permitted development rights.

Also note that these rules only cover your patio/driveway. Any other work such as fences, walls and gates or a dropped kerb may require planning permission.

Electric vehicle charging outlets 

For information about the installation of an outlet for charging an electric car on domestic property, please see the details in the common project for electric vehicle charging points.

Dropping kerbs

If you are making a new access into the garden across the footpath you will need to obtain permission from the local council to drop the kerbs and the pavement may need strengthening. This is to protect any services buried in the ground such as water pipes.

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      Disclaimer

      This is an introductory guide and is not a definitive source of legal information. Guidance is based on national rules, but additional local rules may also affect what permissions are needed. You should check if this is the case before applying or starting work.
      Guidance here relates to the planning regime for England, the policy in Wales may differ. If in doubt contact your local planning authority. Please note, local authorities may charge a fee for pre-application advice.
      Read our full disclaimer.


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          The Planning Portal is delivered by PortalPlanQuest Limited which is a joint venture between TerraQuest Solutions Limited and the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG). All content © 2025 Planning Portal.

          The Planning Portal is delivered by PortalPlanQuest Limited which is a joint venture between TerraQuest Solutions Limited and the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG). All content © 2025 Planning Portal.