Driveway or hard surface in Cambridge
Do you need planning permission for a driveway in Cambridge? Here is what the permitted development rules say, how Cambridge City Council’s designations change them, and what decides an application, grounded in the official guidance and quoted verbatim.
Do you need planning permission for a driveway in Cambridge?
Replacing a driveway is permitted development under Class F where the surface is porous, or where rainwater drains to a permeable area within the property rather than to the highway. Whether a driveway needs permission in Cambridge still depends on your exact address and the designations on it.
The starting point
Replacing a driveway is permitted development under Class F where the surface is porous, or where rainwater drains to a permeable area within the property rather than to the highway.
“This provides permitted development rights within the curtilage of a house for - (a) the provision of a hard surface for any purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse as such”PD technical guidance, Class F · full text in the library → · official source →
How Cambridge’s designations apply
| Designation in Cambridge | Published |
|---|---|
| Conservation areas | 18 |
| Article 4 directions (PD removed) | 19 |
| Listed building outlines | 839 |
A non-permeable surface over five square metres draining to the road needs permission; a dropped kerb for vehicle access is a separate highways consent. Counts are read live from planning.data.gov.uk; your report checks them against your exact address.
What Cambridge weighs
A non-permeable surface over five square metres draining to the road needs permission; a dropped kerb for vehicle access is a separate highways consent.
Get a planning report for your Cambridge address
A Planning Policy report reads the designations on your exact Cambridge address, quotes the Cambridge City Council and national policies that apply to a driveway, and (on Pro) shows decided applications nearby with outcomes.