New regulations???

[monopix]

We've just had a quote for a block paving at the front of the house to include existing driveway and adjacent ground. The quoter said new regulations are coming in in September/October whereby if the area to be paved is larger than exisiting driveway then permeable blocks have to be used OR planning permission has to be obtained.

Can anyone confirm these new regulations are coming into force? I can't find any reference to them anywhere.

[Dave_L]

Yes, it's true - read all about it here......

[Bob_A]

Lifted from page60 of the DEFRA document
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ....ter.pdf

Absorption of water into the ground
22. In the past, householders have faced few barriers to increasing the amount of hard standing in
their property. Paving front gardens was a permitted development right, and therefore could generally
proceed without planning permission. Given the contribution of hard standing to surface water flood
risk, the Government will change householders’ permitted development rights to allow
them to pave over their front garden without planning permission only if the surface
is porous, such as by using permeable paving or gravel. We will introduce legislation with
the effect of requiring planning permission for impermeable surfaces in front gardens late
in 2008

So no regulations for back gardens then?

[monopix]

Still not been able to find an exact date when this starts to take effect. The quoter I had was a bit vague saying end of September(ish). Is there a definite deadline after which we need either permeable paving or planning permission?

[Tony McC]

No definite date yet for this farcical legislation. Early October is the target.