New Driveways in Marston Moretaine

In Marston Moretaine the question we ask first is not which surface you like, but where the water will go. Heavy ground in this part of Bedfordshire can be slow to take rain away, so a new driveway works best when the drainage is designed before anything else is decided.

At the survey we look at the levels, any existing gullies or downpipes and the way water already behaves on the plot. If there are puddles or damp patches, they tell us a lot. Where a soakaway is being considered, a simple test pit can show how quickly the ground drains, which tells us whether a soakaway is realistic or whether another route is needed.

From there we design the falls. Water should move away from the house and towards a point where it can be collected or soak in. That might be a channel drain across the drive, a gravel strip along the edge, or a permeable surface that lets rain through to a base designed to hold and release it slowly.

The dig is set by the ground and the drainage. Soft material is removed until we reach something stable, then the base is built up in compacted layers. On slow draining ground a separating membrane often goes in to keep the stone clean and working.

Planning follows the drainage. A drive that deals with its own rainwater, either by letting it through or sending it into your garden, does not usually need permission. A large solid surface that discharges onto the road normally does. Central Bedfordshire Council handles both planning and any new dropped kerb here, and the crossing is applied for separately.

Other practical points belong in the plan too. Waste needs removing, the road needs keeping clean and access to the front door should stay open. If you are thinking about an electric car, laying a spare duct under the base costs little now.