Permeable Driveways in Manchester
We lay permeable driveways in Manchester that let the rain soak through, built from the soil up.
- Quotes in writing
- 20 areas covered
Manchester Resin Drives lays permeable driveways for homes across Manchester. Government guidance calls a surface permeable when it allows water to soak through it. We lay permeable drives in resin bound, and we can talk you through other permeable surfaces on our visit.
Why the rules changed in 2008
Government guidance says that from 1 October 2008 the rules on paving a front garden without planning permission changed. It says the aim was to reduce the effect of paved front gardens on flooding and on pollution of rivers and streams.
Under the rules today, the guidance says a new or replacement drive of any size needs no planning permission if it uses a permeable (or porous) surface, or if the rain runs off onto a lawn or border. If a solid surface covers more than 5 square metres and the water has nowhere to soak away, it does need planning permission.
Is resin bound permeable?
Leeds City Council's front garden guide lists resin-bound gravel as one of the poured surfaces that let rain soak away into the ground.
On every permeable drive we lay, the surface is only half of it: the stone base under the resin has to let water through too, or the rain just sits under the surface.
How deep a permeable drive goes
Government guidance says a permeable drive is normally about 200mm to 250mm deep, measured down from the finished surface. It says about 150mm of that is the sub-base, a layer of stone laid and pressed down before the surface goes on.
Testing the ground first
Government guidance gives a simple test for whether your soil can carry a drive. If it is hard to drive a 50mm square wooden peg more than 150mm into the ground, the soil is strong enough. If the peg goes in easily beyond 150mm, the ground may be too soft, and the guidance says you will need expert advice.
We test the ground on our visit, in more than one spot, before we price the job.
Clay soil
Government guidance says that on soils with a lot of clay that cannot soak up much water, it is a wise step to lay a pipe in the sub-base that takes water to the drains your roof uses. It says this stops water sitting in the sub-base for a long time.
It also gives a rule of thumb: dig a pit 300mm wide, long and deep, fill it with water, and if it takes more than 11 hours to empty, a pipe will be needed. We dig this test pit where the drive will go, so any pipe is in the quote from the start rather than a surprise later.
Do permeable drives cost more?
Government guidance says permeable driveways do not necessarily cost more or need a lot of upkeep. We price your drive once we have measured it and tested the ground, and you get that quote in writing.
What we put in writing
Our written quote sets out:
- The surface we lay, and the stone base we put under it.
- How deep we dig, measured from the finished surface.
- What we found when we did the peg test and the pit test on your ground.
- Whether we lay a pipe to the drains, and where it joins them.
- Where the edges of the drive stop, and what we lay against your lawn or borders.
Whoever you hire, ask for the same on paper.
Questions about permeable driveways in Manchester
Will a permeable drive stop my road from flooding?
Government guidance says paving one or two gardens may not seem to make a difference, but lots of people in a street doing it can raise the risk of flooding. We lay yours so the rain that falls on it soaks into your own ground.
Can my existing drive be made permeable?
We can sometimes. First we look at what is under it. If the base is the solid kind, we usually have to dig it out and build a new one.
Can you lay a permeable drive on a slope?
That depends on the slope. Government guidance says a drive that falls more than 1 in 20 may not suit a permeable surface, which is a drop of 1 metre for every 20 metres of drive. We measure the fall on our visit.
Can I park a van on a permeable drive?
Tell us what you park when we visit. We set the depth of the base to suit the weight it has to carry.
Can I wash my car on it?
Yes, you can wash your car on the drives we lay. Government guidance says not to pour liquids such as oil on a permeable surface, or put soil or sand on it.
Get a quote
Fill in our quote form with your postcode and a rough size for the drive. We will come out, test the ground and give you a written quote. See everything else we lay on the Manchester Resin Drives home page.
Ready to talk about your resin driveway job?
Send the quote form with your postcode and what you need. We will get back to you with a written quote.