New Driveways in Eynesbury

Eynesbury mixes older houses near the church and the river with more recent homes to the south, so no two driveways start from the same place. What every project does share is a sequence, and knowing it in advance makes the work much easier to live with. We walk you through it at the survey so there are no surprises once the first lorry arrives.

• Survey: measurements, levels, services and a look at the soil, followed by a written quote.
• Preparation: any dropped kerb application made, materials ordered and a start date agreed.
• Dig-out: the old surface and soft ground removed, with waste taken away.
• Base: sub-base laid and compacted in layers, with edging and drainage set in.
• Surface: the chosen finish laid, rolled or jointed, then cleaned down.
• Handover: a walk round together to check levels, edges and drainage.

The dig-out depth depends on what we find. Firm ground may need little more than removing the old surface and topsoil, while softer patches are taken out and replaced with compacted stone. If a duct for an EV charger is wanted, it goes in at the base stage, when it costs least to add.

Access to the road is a separate approval. A new or wider dropped kerb is a matter for Cambridgeshire County Council as the highway authority, and its timetable is outside our control, so we suggest applying early. Planning sits with Huntingdonshire District Council, and for most front gardens the key point is drainage: permeable surfaces, or those that drain onto your own planted ground, normally need no application, while a solid surface over five square metres sending water into the road usually does.

It also helps to warn the neighbours. A short note a few days before the start, saying when the lorries will arrive and roughly how long the noisy stages will last, saves a lot of awkward conversations. We time the biggest deliveries away from the school run where we can, and keep the pavement outside clear and swept at the end of each day.

Older parts of Eynesbury may fall within a conservation area, so if your home is close to the historic centre it is worth asking the council whether any extra controls apply before work begins.