Apply for a dropped kerb Click to get info
As the Highways Authority we deal with the request to gain permission to have a vehicle crossover (dropped kerb) installed on the road next to your property.
Applications for dropped kerbs/ vehicle crossings are £275 which is non-refundable
Who can apply
To apply for a dropped kerb/ vehicle crossing you must own the property.
If you are a
- council tenant or leaseholder
- Housing Association tenant
- in private rented accommodation
You must get the consent from the appropriate Housing Section, Estate Management or landlord.
Ask them to send a letter of consent to Highways.Admin@walthamforest.gov.uk including the details of the property the request relates to.
Fees Click to get info
You’ll have to pay a processing fee and for the costs involved in installing the dropped kerb.
Fee for processing applications
- £275 which is non-refundable
This covers the processing of the application and the costs associated in providing the price for the work required.
You may have to pay additional fees if planning permission is required. Details of the current fees can be found on the Planning Portal website.
Costs of installing a dropped kerb/vehicle crossover Click to get info
If approved, a quotation for the works will be provided. You’ll be charged £325 per square metre plus the costs of adjusting parking bays and changes to the associated Traffic Management Order if in a CPZ, moving any lamp columns or replacing street trees and any other associated highways costs as appropriate to the permission granted.
Payment must be received as a single payment, in full before any work is carried out. The Council will ensure that all works in connection with the dropped kerb are properly carried out.
Where your application has been approved and you have been given a written quotation for the works to be carried out to install the dropped kerb/vehicle crossover you need to make payment.
Make payment for a dropped kerb
Quotations are only valid for 3 months.
Payment for a crossing doesn’t mean that you’ve bought the land that the dropped kerb goes over - this remains the responsibility of the council.
Dropped kerbs onto front gardens Click to get info
If you want to drive a car onto your property, the depth of the front garden needs to be 4.8 metres.
Where your front garden depth is between 4 to 4.8 metres you will have to enter into a conditional legal agreement with the council. In some cases we may refuse permission if no suitable off-street car parking can be provided safely.
Find more information about measurement and our block plan on our guidance notes.
Planning permission Click to get info
Planning permission isn’t usually required for this type of work, but will be if:
- the property has the frontage directly onto a classified road. See list of classified roads (13KB PDF file)
- the property is a listed building
- the property is other than a house for a single family, for example a flat or maisonette
- the property is in a conservation area
- the proposed hard standing has more than 5m2 of non-permeable surface
For information on planning permission can be found on our planning pages.
In most cases we’ll advise you whether planning permission is needed when you apply and send you the appropriate forms.
Report an illegal dropped kerb Click to get info
If you think a dropped kerb or vehicle crossover has been built without council permission,
Report it to the Neighbourhoods Teams
Driving over a kerb or verge without a crossover Click to get info
If you take your vehicle across the kerbed paving or grass verge without a properly constructed crossover you can damage the footway or verge. If you continue to do so you’ll be served with a formal notice.
If you don’t comply with a formal notice it may lead to a fine of up to £1,000 and you’ll be charged for any works carried out by the council.
Blocking a dropped kerb Click to get info
Blocking or obstructing any dropped kerb is unlawful and the Council’s civil enforcement officers can issue a penalty. Once a penalty has been given the vehicle may also be towed away.
A vehicle doesn’t have to be fully blocking the dropped kerb to be committing a parking contravention.
If any part of a vehicle is parked adjacent to the fully flat section of a dropped kerb, then a PCN can be issued. This includes overhang from a bonnet or boot. Please note that if the vehicle in question is only parked adjacent to the sloping or tapered part of a dropped kerb, then no enforcement action can be taken.
Report a vehicle blocking a dropped kerb Click to get info
To report a vehicle blocking a dropped kerb, call our parking enforcement contractors NSL. You must be prepared to leave your name, contact number, and the details of the location and vehicle.
NSL can be contacted on:
- 0203 092 0112 (option 4) Monday-Saturday 6.30am to 10pm and Sunday 9am to 5pm
Outside these hours you can call the police to deal with the issue as an obstruction.
Help with completing online forms Click to get info
If you don't have access to a computer, you can visit a Library Plus branch where you can use a self-service pc to log your request/report. Staff are available to support you if you need it.