Driveway or hard surface in Westminster
Do you need planning permission for a driveway in Westminster? Here is what the permitted development rules say, how City of Westminster’s designations change them, and what decides an application — grounded in the official guidance, quoted verbatim.
Do you need planning permission for a driveway in Westminster?
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 Westminster 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 Westminster’s designations apply
| Designation in Westminster | Published |
|---|---|
| Conservation areas | 56 |
| Article 4 directions (PD removed) | 10 |
| Listed building outlines | 3,455 |
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 Westminster 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, City of Westminster 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 Westminster address
A Planning Policy report reads the designations on your exact Westminster address, quotes the City of Westminster and national policies that apply to a driveway, and — on Pro — shows decided applications nearby with outcomes.