A dropped kerb, or vehicle crossover, is what makes it legal to drive across the footway onto your property. Driving over a full height kerb without one is an offence, and it damages the footway underneath.
The footway is not yours
The pavement outside your house is public highway. That is why the crossover has to be approved by the highway authority, and why the works have to be built to their specification rather than to whatever suits the driveway.
What councils normally want to see
- Enough hard standing on your property so a parked car does not overhang the footway
- A crossover width that suits your frontage and the road
- Sight lines that are safe for pedestrians and passing traffic
- No conflict with street trees, lamp columns, or utility covers
Requirements and fees differ between boroughs, so what Croydon asks for is not identical to what Bexley or Bromley asks for.
Doing the driveway at the same time
If the driveway surface and the crossover are laid in the same visit, the two tie in neatly and you only have one set of machinery on site. It is nearly always the cheaper way round.
If you are thinking about a crossover, call 07365 355017 and we will talk you through what your borough will ask for before you spend anything.