Driveway or hard surface in Kensington and Chelsea
Do you need planning permission for a driveway in Kensington and Chelsea? Here is what the permitted development rules say, how Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’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 Kensington and Chelsea?
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 Kensington and Chelsea 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 Kensington and Chelsea’s designations apply
| Designation in Kensington and Chelsea | Published |
|---|---|
| Conservation areas | 41 |
| Article 4 directions (PD removed) | 84 |
| Listed building outlines | 2,609 |
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 Kensington and Chelsea 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.
As a London borough, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea also decides against the London Plan 2021 (the strategic policy layer for all 33 boroughs), alongside national policy and its own Local Plan.
Get a planning report for your Kensington and Chelsea address
A Planning Policy report reads the designations on your exact Kensington and Chelsea address, quotes the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and national policies that apply to a driveway, and (on Pro) shows decided applications nearby with outcomes.