Driveways in Bournville

Planning your driveway in Bournville

Two approvals can apply to a driveway in Bournville: planning permission, if more than 5 m² of front garden is covered with a non-permeable surface that drains to the road, and dropped-kerb consent from Birmingham City Council. We design around both.

Before you drive across the pavement, you need the highway authority's consent for a dropped kerb.
Permeable surfaces in Bournville help reduce surface water running onto the road.
Fresh tarmac and resin need time to harden before cars drive on them.

Postcode district: B30
Planning and building control: Birmingham City Council
From our West Bromwich base: 8 miles

Options to consider in Bournville

Block paving

Concrete blocks laid in a pattern on a sand bed over a compacted stone sub-base, held in by edging kerbs. Blocks come in many colours and sizes, and single blocks can be lifted and relaid if a drain needs work. Standard block paving needs drainage planning, because the sand joints alone don't usually let enough water through.

Tarmac

Hot-laid asphalt over a compacted sub-base, finished with a roller and edged with kerbs or setts. Tarmac is quick to lay and good value for larger areas. Standard tarmac is impermeable, so on a front garden it needs to drain to a soakaway or border, or use a porous asphalt mix.

What does your driveway cost in Bournville?

Prices in Bournville match the rest of our area: £2,200–£12,000 depending on size and specification. Block paving driveway of about 45 m² for two cars, with dig-out, sub-base, edging and drainage: usually £5,000–£7,200.

Guide prices for driveways
Option	Guide price	Good to know
Gravel or tarmac driveway	£2,200 – £4,800	About 40 m², new sub-base and edging
Block paving driveway	£4,500 – £7,500	About 40–50 m², with drainage or permeable build
Resin-bound driveway	£5,000 – £8,500	About 40–50 m², on a permeable base

Guide ranges include VAT where it applies. Your fixed price for the agreed specification follows a free survey at your Bournville address.

Your questions answered

Will I be able to park while the work is going on?

Not on the driveway itself for most of the job, so you'll need to park on the street or nearby. We'll need space for a skip or grab lorry and material deliveries, and we'll agree that with you in advance. We keep a safe path to your front door throughout.

Which postcodes in Bournville do you work in?

We cover B30 and the streets around them. If you're on the edge of Bournville, neighbouring Kings Heath and Kings Norton are covered too.

How much does a new driveway cost?

In the West Midlands, a typical 40–50 m² driveway usually costs around £2,200–£4,800 in gravel or tarmac, £4,500–£7,500 in block paving and £5,000–£8,500 in resin-bound, including dig-out, sub-base, edging and drainage. Larger areas, slopes, walls and extra drainage cost more. The council's dropped kerb charges are separate and vary by council.

Does Birmingham City Council need to approve my driveway?

Only for a new or widened dropped kerb, which needs consent from Birmingham City Council, or for a non-permeable surface over 5 m² that drains to the road, which needs planning permission from Birmingham City Council.

Close to Bournville

Other work we do in Bournville

Want to see block, resin and gravel samples side by side? Call 0800 088 6248 and we'll bring them to Bournville.