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A dropped kerb is a section of kerb that has been lowered to create access either for vehicles (also known as a vehicle crossing) or for wheelchairs/motorised mobility aids. Dropping a kerb for vehicle access under normal circumstances can get quite expensive but there are some situations where a dropped kerb will be paid for by your local council.
There are two main reasons people decide to apply to have a kerb drop: so that they can have off-street parking or if they need wheelchair access. The process of having a kerb dropped in these situations are very different.
Generally speaking, if you are planning to drop a kerb to create a vehicle crossing, you will need to pay for it yourself and make the necessary planning applications. The average cost can be very different depending on which local authority you live in and whether there are any additional costs to consider.
If you are registered disabled and you are a property owner or a private tenant, and you want to drop a kerb for wheelchair access then you may be able to receive a grant to cover the drop kerb cost. The amount you receive will depend on your household income and savings and you may need to pay something towards the total cost of the work. You may also need planning permission but the usual fixed fee will often be covered by your grant.
If you are disabled and live in a local authority maintained home then your council will carry out the work themselves to make the home accessible to you, as long as it is necessary for your needs.
In most cases, if you want to install a dropped kerb to create a vehicle crossing so that you can park your car on your driveway, you will need to pay for it yourself. Average drop kerb prices can vary depending on which local council you fall under and the dropped kerb cost is often highest in places like London.
The average cost of a dropped kerb can be anything from £600 up to a few thousand, depending on a variety of different factors.
The benefits of dropped kerbs include:
One of the other reasons why people decide on dropping a kerb is that it prevents people from parking in front of your property. No one will be able to park their vehicle and prevent access to your driveway if you drop a kerb in front of it. If you register your vehicle with the council then you will be able to park on the street blocking the dropped kerb so you could have a second car on the driveway. When more houses in the street have off-street parking, this can also make the area more desirable to live in because there are fewer cars parked on the street and it allows any potential buyers to know that they will always have a parking space.
To have a dropped kerb for a vehicle crossing installed, you will need to apply to your local council for permission because they own the kerb. The process and prices vary depending on the local council but the majority will charge a non-refundable application fee. Along with the planning application fee, there is often an additional fee for a council inspector to come and take a look at the proposed dropped kerb to see if it is viable to carry out the work.
Many councils roll these two fees together so you pay them at the same time but some will charge you separately. If they are separate, then it is often the case that your inspection fee will be refunded to you if your planning application is rejected. In either case, there will usually be a fixed price for the fee that is clearly displayed before you start your application.
You do not always have to apply for planning permission to have a dropped kerb put in but you will have to under certain circumstances. These include:
Remember that the planning permission application is separate from the planning application and it will usually require a separate fee. The usual fees will depend on your council so it is always a good idea to check the planning area of their website to see what the fees and process are for obtaining planning consent.
You can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate to demonstrate that you didn't need planning permission at the time of construction if you are concerned that it may be a problem later on.
Once you have obtained permission (either standard permission on its own or standard permission plus planning permission) the dropped kerb will need to be installed. Your local council may carry out the work for you but you will have to pay for it.
Alternatively, you can use your own contractor to carry out the work. Local councils often have a list of approved drop kerb contractors or you can find one on your own. Your own contractor will need to meet certain criteria to be able to carry out this type of work.
These criteria include:
Your local authority may insist that you use one of their approved contractors for dropped kerbs from their own list or you may be able to use your own as long as they meet the proper criteria.
The installation process for a dropped kerb will usually be relatively simple once any preparation work is taken care of, and should last only a few days. The typical cost can vary depending on how many kerbs will be dropped and what the average prices for local tradespeople are in your area. For example, labour costs are usually higher in places like London.
Depending on your situation you may also need to pay additional costs associated with dropping a kerb, which can drastically increase the kerb dropping prices. Factors affecting the final cost can include:
These additional costs can really push the total cost up, so it is always a good idea to get in touch with some local and reliable trades to get some advice and consultation about the likely pitfalls you might encounter in your situation.
You should never go ahead and drop a kerb without obtaining the proper permission from your local council. If they find out that you have done so, then they will put the kerb back to how it was and will charge you for the work involved with having the kerb reinstated.
You will also be leaving yourself liable for any damage done to the kerb, the utilities underneath, and the items on the street. And if you hit a pedestrian, then you will have been driving illegally on the pavement when you did so.
Remember that it is a criminal offence to drive your vehicle on the pavement even if it is to access your property and, even if you have gone ahead with dropping a kerb, it will still be illegal. Local councils will not hesitate to pursue the matter.
An application for a dropped kerb will not always be granted by your local council planning department. In some situations, regardless of whether or not you are willing to pay towards modifications, it won't be possible for you to have a dropped kerb installed. This is usually related to safety issues and visibility guidelines.
For example, if your property is close to a road junction, a bend, or a roundabout, it is unlikely that you will be granted planning permission to install a dropped kerb because it may be dangerous for you to manoeuvre your car onto and out of your driveway.
Similarly, you likely won't be able to get planning permission for a dropped kerb if there is a steep slope from your front garden to the road because of potential visibility issues. And, while you can pay to have some items on the street removed, other street furniture, such as traffic lights, won't be moved for you.
If there is an existing dropped kerb and you want to install an additional one or extend it to be wider than it usually would be, it is possible that your application will be unsuccessful. This is because it may negatively affect parking for other residents.
If your front garden doesn't have enough space for your vehicle to park on it without extending out onto the pavement, then your application is likely to be refused. The kerb must be at least 4.8 metres from your property with a minimum width of 2.4 metres.
You won't be able to install a new driveway on your home without dropping a kerb outside of it. There are some situations where you may need to apply for planning permission for your driveway separately from your kerb drop application.
If you are paving your front garden to create a driveway using porous materials, such as gravel, reinforced grass, permeable block paving, resin, porous asphalt, or concrete, you may not need to obtain planning permission for your driveway. You should always ensure that you get approval for dropping a kerb before bringing in driveway contractors to install the driveway.
You should always factor in the cost of your driveway when calculating your dropped kerb cost.
While installing a dropped kerb to create a vehicle crossing can be costly, if you are disabled there are certain situations where your local council will install a dropped kerb for free. This will be for you to be able to access your home using a wheelchair or motorised mobility scooter.
The process for applying for a dropped kerb for wheelchair access will be different depending on if you own your own home or are privately renting or if you are living in a local authority maintained home.
You will need to be registered disabled to be able to get financial assistance with installing a dropped kerb. If you own your own home or if you are private renting, you will need to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant, and this is usually done so through the environmental health department of your local council.
Each council will have its own criteria for the Disabled Facilities Grant and you will usually be assessed by the occupational health team to determine if there is a need for you to have these modifications installed. If you are the spouse or partner of a disabled person, you can make the application for a Disabled Facilities Grant yourself and if you are a landlord with a disabled tenant, you can also apply on their behalf.
The work must be necessary and able to meet the disabled person's needs and they must reasonably be able to be installed (depending on the local area and the type of house you live in). The disabled person must intend to live in the property for the duration of the grant (five years).
These rules only apply to England, Wales, and Northern Island. The Disabled Access Grant doesn't exist in Scotland and there is a different process there to have these modifications made. Your local council's website will be able to give you information about the process, or you could always ring them and ask for advice over the phone.
In England, you can be eligible to receive up to £30,000. In Wales, it is a maximum of £36,000 and in Northern Island, it is £25,000. The amount you receive will be dependent on what you need to have done and it will also depend on your household income and whether you have any savings (usually over £6,000).
If your income is over a certain amount, you may need to contribute towards the final cost of the work. In terms of the rant, your local council will either pay the approved contractors directly or they may give you a cheque to pass onto the contractors yourself.
If you or a relative are planning on completing the work yourself, and not using an approved contractor, then your local council may only provide you with a grant for the materials used. Your grant application may also be refused if you have already started the work yourself before you apply.
It is entirely possible to have a drop kerb installed under the Disabled Access Grant if this is something that meets your needs or the needs of the disabled person for whom you are applying. You may need to apply for planning permission, under the same circumstances as you would if you were applying to have a drop a kerb for a vehicle crossing. The grant will usually cover the cost of the planning permission and any additional costs involved with the dropped kerb cost.
The rules are very different if you live in a local authority maintained home compared to if you live in a private residence. You will not need to apply for a Disabled Access Grant for dropping a kerb because the council has a responsibility to ensure that your needs are met in the home that they have provided for you. So they will take on the responsibility of dropped kerbs and the associated costs and logistics.
You can apply to your local council directly for help, and there will usually be information on your local authority's website for how to do so. You will usually be assessed by the occupational health team to decide if there is a need for dropped kerbs in your situation and this will be fed back to the council. If you are unhappy with the assessment there usually isn't an appeal's process but you can request an additional visit and make a formal complaint if you feel that your needs haven't been met.
Again, if you are the spouse, partner, or child of a disabled person you will be able to apply for a drop kerb on their behalf. You will not need to apply for planning permission yourself as your council will be handling the logistics of having a drop kerb installed. You also won't need to hire a private contractor yourself as your district council will be using their own contractor.
If they feel it isn't possible to provide the accessibility modifications necessary, then you may have the option of being moved into a more suitable local authority maintained home.
Usually, the only situation where you can drop a kerb for free is if you are disabled and require the modification for you to be able to access your home using a vehicle or motorised mobility scooter. If you are planning to drop a kerb to create a vehicle crossing, you will usually need to pay for it yourself and the average cost can be very different depending on which local council you come under and whether there are additional costs to take into consideration.