Sloping driveway, clay heave

[MDay]

My driveway is tarmac, about 25 years old and has suffered from heave due to the clay, and tyre ruts due to poor sub-base probably.

The problem I have is that the garage floor is just under 2 bricks below the dpc, and the tarmac can be almost as high as the dpc, which in itself wouldnt be a problem, if it wasnt adjoining the entrance to a close, which is owned by four other neighbours.

Ideally I would like to lay a flat block paved drive to replace my aging tarmac, but the adjoining drive is causing me headaches.

Options:

1: Build a small retaining wall to the adjoining drive and set my own level for the block driveway.
2: Address the neighbours to see if I can reduce the height of about 12 inches of tarmac on their drive edge, replacing that with matching tarmac, or even block paving.
3: Address the neighbours and replace all of the front section of their drive in blocks.

I really dont like the idea of a retaining wall, as I spend a lot of time on my cars out there, and would fall over the thing regularly.

Are there any other options, issues with the options above, or anything else I should consider?

Thanks
MDay

Pictures of Driveway (comments included)

[lutonlagerlout]

ideally it would be better to pave both drives together
I have done drives like yours and we had to put an edging in to retain the neighbours driveway
PITA
does your garage flood in heavy rain?
looks like you could do with a linear drain in front of the door
as you say a retaining wall would be too bulky
LLL

[MDay]

No my garage doesn't flood, in front of the slope into the garage there is gentle fall to the pavement, plus the rain goes into the cracks in the tarmac, making the problem worse I suspect!

[Dave_L]

Ahhhh I see someone with taste, a fellow 3 series 330d/i pilot!

[DNgroundworks]

I think the neatest way there is to use a KL Kerb arrangement, not as bulky as a retaining wall. Also in your "option 2" would that not mean "rounding down" their driveway to yours IMO that would look a bit naff.

Deffo get some Linear drains across the garage thresh hold.

[MDay]

Ahhhh I see someone with taste, a fellow 3 series 330d/i pilot!

good spot, 330d, and the drive is my detailing area!

[MDay]

I think the neatest way there is to use a KL Kerb arrangement, not as bulky as a retaining wall. Also in your "option 2" would that not mean "rounding down" their driveway to yours IMO that would look a bit naff.

Deffo get some Linear drains across the garage thresh hold.

I think this is probably the best idea, the idea of adjusting the neighbours drive is not attractive.

Would you just blend the curb down to the height of the blocks towards the front of the drive?

[DNgroundworks]

Yea just follow the height down to nothing....hard to explain on here.....near the garage it will be a drop of say 100mm blended out to nothing at the far end.

Note: you will need to play around with blocks as i cant imagine how the kerbs will "blend in" id need to be there and play around with them, maybe use a "dropper kerb" then swap to a smaller KS kerb as the drop gets less.