From 1 October 2008 new rules apply for householders wanting to pave over their front gardens - something we see more of in Bishopthorpe.

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.

What is the problem with paving over front gardens?

Serious flooding in 2007 caused loss of life, disruption of peoples' lives and damage estimated at about 3bn GBP. In many cases flooding happened because drains could not cope with the amount of rain water flowing to them.

The effects of climate change mean that this kind of heavy rainfall event and flooding may occur more often in the future.

The drains in most urban areas were built many years ago and were not designed to cope with increased rainfall. More water is entering the drains from new developments and paving front gardens adds to the problem.

Although paving over one or two gardens may not seem to make a difference, the combined effect of lots of people in a street or area doing this can increase the risk of flooding.

The harm caused by paving gardens is not limited to just flooding. Hard surfaces such as concrete and asphalt collect pollution (oil, petrol, brake dust etc) that is washed off into the drains. Many drains carry rainwater directly to streams or rivers where the pollution damages wildlife and the wider environment. (Paved areas will also reflect heating during hot periods and can cause over-heating of houses).

To keep hard surfaces to a minimum a driveway can be created that has just two paved tracks where the wheels go.

These can be surfaced with blocks, asphalt or concrete, but to provide a durable construction they should have sub-base below.

The area between and around the tracks can be surfaced in gravel or planted with grass or suitable low growing plants. Water must drain from the tracks into the surrounding permeable area.

Typical width is between 300mm and 600mm for each track.

For more information see here.