Paving the Porous Way

Planning regulations are now in force which require homeowners to seek planning permission to replace their driveway or pave over their garden unless porous materials are used. This is to combat the risk of a repeat of the flooding which hit Britain last year. 55,000 homes were flooded all across the country and, according to government figures, impermeable materials such as concrete and tarmac prevented the rain from soaking into the ground and exacerbated the problem.

According to the London Assembly, our capital city has already lost the equivalent of 22 Hyde Parks in “green space” as a result of people paving over their gardens.

With the average household in Britain currently owning two or more cars, it’s no surprise that we are constantly striving for that elusive extra parking space – in the garage, on the driveway, even laying concrete over our front lawns to give us an extra space! Keeping the car off the road also significantly lowers insurance premiums, so most families make sure their driveway is as usable as possible. Homeowners in larger cities with unused off-road parking are even renting spaces out! This benefits both the homeowner – spaces can be rented for as much as £3500 per year – and the car-owner, who has the advantage of a guaranteed, safe parking space and cheaper car insurance!

Remember, you can get an instant online quote for your paving and driveway projects at PavingQuoter

To take advantage of the space available you should consider using a porous surface for your paving project. Porous materials suitable for driveways include:

Gravel. Gravel is by far the cheapest porous material to use on your driveway or garden, and it’s also the one that best keeps your garden looking like a garden. Whichever colour you choose, remember to lay the stones onto a permeable membrane to stop weeds growing through. You can have still have plants growing in gravel, too: simply add “planting pockets” in the membrane - but remember to leave enough space to park your car, or place hardy plants that will survive if you accidentally drive over them! Try things like bugle, creeping jenny and thyme. Berry trees and shrubberies around the edge of your garden add life to a driveway where you (probably) won’t crash into them. These are especially hardy and able to cope with the fumes and heat from your car, and will add instant colour. If you are feeling exceptionally green, you can even buy recycled gravel, which is a by-product of the ceramics industry.

Gravel is also a good security measure around a house as it makes it difficult for thieves to approach a property without being heard.

Bricks. Brick-paving is still an option under the new driveway regulations, as long as you use permeable bricks. These are fitted in an interlocking style that allows rainwater to penetrate through the gaps in the brickwork and soak into the ground. Permeable bricks need to be laid by professionals. Brick paving arguably takes away the feel of a garden from your home, but you can add colour by placing pot plants around where your car will go.

Recycled Driveways, As well as recycled gravel, there are other “green” ways to replace your driveway. Cellular paving is made from hexagonal cells of recycled plastic which you fill with an aggregate, such as resin-bonded gravel or any other aggregate of your choice. The cells usually come in green, but there are other colours available at an extra cost. You can lay cellular paving yourself or get it laid professionally.

Non-porous materials increase rainwater run-off by 50 per cent, which then has to flow into drains which could block or overflow and cause flood. Non-porous materials also stop rain from soaking into the ground, which makes the ground dry and can cause subsidence. However, more traditional paving and driveway styles like block paving, impressed concrete and tarmac, when laid correctly with proper drainage channels connected to a proper drainage system are still widely popular and still the choice of most homeowners. Councils and homeowners are agreed that off-street parking is of benefit to the home owner and other road users, and off-street parking can add thousands to the value of your property. Depending on the area you live in, off road parking can be very high on not only the list of requirements prospective home buyers look for, but also one of the reasons that people move in the first place.