Vehicle Crossings

Vehicle Crossing/Dropped Kerbs

You will require approval from Kent Highways / Medway Council to have a vehicle crossing installed. Depending on the road classification, you may also require planning permission from your local authority.

A vehicle crossing is an alteration to the footpath/public highway to allow vehicles to access their driveway or hard standing without causing damage to the footpath/public highway.

Criteria for a Vehicle Crossing

To have a dropped kerb, it must:
leave enough room for you to park your vehicle completely on the property
be at least 4.8m from the front of your house (5.1m if the parking area is in front of a door or garage)
be a minimum width of 2.4m
be more than 10m away from a road junction (15m on major roads and busy junctions)
meet visibility guidelines (this depends on the type of road)
have suitable drainage near your house
be at least 1.5m from streetlights and other street furniture
avoid removing tree roots
have permission from the property owner.

We advise you to contact your local district council planning department to confirm that what you are doing on your private land is lawful and permissible.

Once you have been granted permission, you can employ any contractor to carry out the works as long as they hold:
New Roads and Street Works Act Accreditations for Excavation and Reinstatement
£5 million public liability insurance

Both Kent Highways and Medway Council hold our details for the above but are available upon request.

Sometimes additional work is needed to build the crossing. You will need to pay for this. It could include:
moving a street lighting column
moving a traffic sign and post 
removing a tree and planting replacements 
changing covers in the path (for example water, gas or cable TV covers) 
getting a traffic management order to change a parking bay.

Kent Highways

To apply for a vehicle crossing in the Kent Highways area Click Here

It can take up to 4 weeks from when the application is received by Kent Highways to process it. Once the application is approved, you have 12 months to complete the work. If you have not completed it in this time, you will need to re-apply.

Medway Council

To apply for a vehicle crossing in the Medway area Click Here

For guidance and assessment Click Here