You need permission from Essex County Council if you want a dropped kerb for vehicle access.
You will also need to get planning permission from us for your dropped kerb if:
- the access is on a classified road. You can check classified roads on Essex County Council’s list)
- your property is multi-occupied, such as a flat
- your property is in a conservation area or is a listed building
- the access will serve land or property that isn't part of a house
- the access crosses grass that you don’t own (such as a grass verge)
- the kerb is on a trunk, A, B or C road.
- any work you want to carry out in connection with the dropped kerb is not ‘permitted development’
- if the kerb is not onto a trunk or a classified road but is the only work you are carrying out
You don't need planning permission from us for your dropped kerb if:
- the kerb is not on a trunk, A, B or C road and any work you want to carry out in connection with the dropped kerb is ‘permitted development’
If you do need planning permission for your dropped kerb, you need to make a planning application.
If you want confirmation that you do not need planning permission, we recommend that you apply for a Lawful Development Certificate.
Requirements for a New Vehicular Access
- Application Form (Householder)
- Please Note: You will need to sign Certificate B and serve notice on the owners of the pavement / kerb and also any grass verge if applicable. This is likely to be Essex County Council Highways but a grass verge may be owned by Braintree District Council or Eastlight Community Homes.
- Fee (currently £258 as of 17.01.18)
- Location Plan at 1:1250 scale
- the whole site should be outlined in red, i.e. as per your boundary and including the pavement area for the new access
- Block Plan at 1:200 or 1:500 scale
- the new access should clearly and accurately be marked including metric measurements to show its proposed width. Any new driveway or changes to the layout should also be shown
- Photographs to show the existing situation are useful but not absolutely necessary
- Please note, if we are going to approve the permission, we need to know that what we are approving is what will be built – Enforcement action can be taken if not built as the approved plans / details
Example of location plan
Example of block plan
