Dropped kerbs and footway crossings

We have a protocol to make sure all dropped kerbs for vehicular property access are implemented as safely as possible.

For help with your application, view our domestic vehicle crossing notes for guidance.

Speak with our planning section if:

• you live in a conservation area, there may be restrictions
• your property is on a classified road 
  • A roads - major roads intended to provide large scale transport links within or between areas.
  • B roads - roads intended to connect different areas, and to feed traffic between A roads and smaller roads on the network.
  • C roads - classified unnumbered - smaller roads intended to connect together unclassified roads with A and B roads, and often linking a housing estate or a village to the rest of the network.
  • Unclassified - local roads intended for local traffic. 60% of roads in the UK fall within this category.

Your application will be refused if:

• the parking area is less than five metres deep

• you're extending an existing driveway over 6.3 metres

• your driveway is within 15m of a major road junction or 10m from any other junction

• your driveway is close to a bus stop (within 18m of the bus stop flag)

• your driveway is less than one metre from street furniture

• there is an existing parking bay in front of the access

• there is less than two metres visibility either side

• water would drain onto the highway from your drive

For more details, read our domestic vehicle crossing notes for guidance.

Investigations will be needed or assessments carried out if there's:

• a canopy of trees over the proposed drop kerb
• manhole covers or iron works on the footprint of the proposed drop kerb
• a steep verge or footway as vehicles would be at risk of grounding, it should be no greater than one in six
• any right of access on the land you wish to park on or cross over

You will need to provide the following where appropriate:

• a detailed sketch with dimensions of your proposed driveway and dropped kerb, example of a Standard domestic driveway layout (PDF, 1 MB)
• if your property is rented, written permission from your private landlord, housing association or Gateshead Council where applicable
• evidence of planning permission if your property is on a classified (A, B or C) road

It can take up to 10 weeks for a decision. No work should start without our written permission.