What is the new legislation regarding paving and front gardens?
As of this month, you need to get planning permission to pave more than five square metres of front garden if you are laying it with an impermeable surface (such as paving bricks, Tarmac or concrete) and the surface water draining from it is directed into gullies, drains or the road. It sounds onerous, but is likely to be less so in effect, since most front gardens use a permeable or porous material such as gravel, or the slope of the hard surface, so that the rainfall is directed on to adjacent lawns or borders within the same property. I work on many front gardens, often putting in gravel or hard paving, and almost invariably design it so that any rain water or run-off goes on to adjacent soft areas. I do not anticipate having to apply for permission in a domestic situation.
