A vehicle crossing is strengthened section of footpath with lowered kerbs to allow you to drive over the pavement onto your property. These are also known as a motor crossing, cross over, or dropped kerb.
You must apply for a dropped Kerb for an Off-street Driveway if you want to drive over the pavement or verge to park on your property as it is illegal to do so without one.
We construct and manage all residential vehicle crossings to ensure they use the correct materials and are built to our standards so that the walking surface is safe for the public to use. The crossings are built differently to the normal footpath to protect the surface and any underground utilities, such as pipes and cables, from damage caused by the extra weight of the vehicle.
Restrictions
You must own the property or have written consent from the owner if you rent the property.
Your driveway must be built before you can apply for a vehicle crossing.
Your driveway must be at least 5 metres long, but it will need to be at least 5.5 metres long if the space includes anything like an Electric Vehicle (EV) charger, bin store, or garage access.
We cannot install a crossing wider than 5.4 metres.
We might not be able to install a vehicle crossing if you have a corner property and the driveway would lead into the junction as this could be unsafe for pedestrians and road users.
It is likely that we will be unable to install a vehicle crossing if there are certain structures or infrastructure directly outside your property. This might include things like traffic calming features, street lights, utility columns, or trees.
Planning Permission
You will need to apply for householder planning permission on the Planning Portal if you want to install a motor crossing on a classified road.
You might also need planning permission to build your driveway depending on the materials you use.
You will need planning permission if you want to install a vehicle crossing for a commercial property.
Cost
Once you submit your application, we will inspect the area outside your property and give you an estimate within 10 weekdays. You have 90 days to accept and pay in full.
The average cost of a standard single crossing is around £1,600 (No VAT) and around £2,200 (No VAT) for a double crossing. The cost depends on the footpath materials used and size of footpath that needs protecting.
There will be extra costs if you need to move obstructions such as streetlights, utility cabinets, or street furniture. You will need to contact the owner of these, such as the utility company, and pay them to move the obstruction if it is possible for them to do so.
Before You Apply
Before you apply, you will need this information:
- Name
- Address
You can also upload a photo of the driveway and the immediate area around it.
Next Steps
It will usually take us 2 days to install your vehicle crossing and we expect to complete this within 6 weeks of you paying for the works. More complicated installations may take us longer.