Planning permission is not required for permeable surfaces (permeable block paving, resin-bound or gravel) at any size, or for impermeable surfaces under 5m² draining to a lawn or border — this is a national Permitted Development rule. However, if your Maidstone property sits within a conservation area or is subject to an Article 4 direction, Maidstone Borough Council can remove those permitted rights, meaning any new front-garden paving needs a full application. Check the MBC conservation-area map before committing to a spec. Every driveway we install is designed to meet drainage requirements as standard — so in most cases there's nothing extra for you to worry about. If your property has any unusual circumstances, just ask and we'll advise.

Dropped-kerb applications in Maidstone go to Kent County Council (KCC) as the highways authority, not to Maidstone Borough Council. The current KCC fee is £500 (£231 refunded if the application is declined) with a 28-day decision target, and approval is valid for two years. If your frontage borders a classified A, B or C road, MBC planning must also sign off before KCC will process the highways permit — we handle both strands end-to-end on every Maidstone install.

Most of ME14–ME16 sits on Gault and Wealden clay, which shrinks and swells seasonally and drains poorly — this is why soakaways routinely fail on Maidstone properties. We engineer a deeper Type 1 sub-base, line the excavation where the clay transitions to chalk on the North Downs fringe, and specify a SuDS-compliant permeable surface or a piped drainage run rather than relying on infiltration. Spec is always dictated by the dig, not the brochure.