New Driveways in Fenny Stratford

Plenty of homes in Fenny Stratford were built long before most families owned a car, so the question we hear most is not how to replace a driveway but whether one is possible at all. The answer hangs on a few measurements. A car needs a certain depth from the house wall to the back of the footway so that it does not overhang the pavement, and a little width either side for doors and bins. We measure that carefully before anything else is discussed.

If the plot is deep enough, the next step is the crossing. Driving over a full height kerb is not allowed, so a lowered kerb from Milton Keynes City Council is needed before the space can be used. The council looks at things like visibility, nearby junctions, trees and street furniture when it decides, and approval is not automatic. We are happy to lay out the space on the ground so you can picture it while that application runs.

The build itself on a small frontage is mostly about precision. Old front walls may need taking down or rebuilding lower, paths and steps to the door have to tie in, and there is very little room for spoil, so we plan waste removal in small loads rather than one large heap on the street. On low ground near the canal and the Ouzel, we pay close attention to how deep the dig goes and how wet the formation is before the sub-base goes down.

• Measuring up: depth for the car, width for doors and a clear route to the front door.
• Boundaries: walls, railings and hedges kept, lowered or rebuilt as agreed.
• Below the surface: drains, gas and water routes checked before digging.
• Charging: a ducted route to the house so a cable can be added without lifting the drive.

Paving over a front garden also brings the drainage rule into play. Where the new surface is permeable, or drains onto a planted area within your boundary, permission is not usually needed. A sealed surface over five square metres that runs to the road generally needs an application. Parts of the older town may also sit within a conservation area, so it is worth a call to the council before committing if your home is on one of the historic streets.