Short answerApply to your council’s highways team before any work starts. In Cheshire West and Chester, you apply and an accredited contractor builds it. Wirral Council can build it or supervise an accredited contractor. In Flintshire you get any planning permission first, then apply for a vehicle crossing, and the council or an approved contractor builds it. Driving over a pavement without a proper crossing isn’t allowed.
A dropped kerb (also called a vehicle crossing or crossover) is the lowered section of kerb and strengthened pavement that lets you drive onto your property. It’s on the public highway, so it belongs to the council, and you need their permission before one is built or widened.
If you’re planning a new driveway, it’s worth sorting the dropped kerb early, because it can affect the layout of the drive.
Cheshire West and Chester (Chester, Ellesmere Port, Frodsham, Neston)
- Apply first. Permission must be in place before work starts. The council says using a footpath or verge without a constructed crossing is an offence under the Highways Act 1980.
- Who builds it: installing the dropped kerb is the homeowner’s responsibility, using a contractor with Street Works accreditation and public liability insurance. The council maintains it afterwards.
- Planning permission: may be needed if you’re on an A, B or C road, or if the dropped kerb is the only work you’re doing. It isn’t normally needed if the related driveway work is permitted development, such as a permeable surface.
- What the council checks: among other things, enough space on your property (at least 4.8m by 2.4m), distance from junctions and street lights, and that you don’t already have a crossing.
Wirral Council (Birkenhead, Wallasey, Heswall, West Kirby and the rest of the Wirral)
- Who builds it: Wirral Council can do the work after a survey and estimate, or you can use your own contractor, supervised by the council. Your contractor needs Street Works accreditation and £5 million public liability insurance.
- Planning permission: you may need it if your property is on a classified (main) road. Check with Wirral’s planning team.
- Trees: Wirral’s page says applications aren’t accepted where a tree would need removing.
- Check the council’s page for the current position before you apply, as Wirral has paused some applications in the past while policies were reviewed.
Flintshire County Council (Deeside, Buckley, Mold, Flint)
- Planning first: planning permission is generally needed for a new access on a classified road, in a conservation area, at a listed building, near a protected tree, or for business use. Flintshire asks you to apply for the crossing only once any planning permission is granted.
- Who builds it: the council (with a fixed-price quote) or an approved private contractor with £5m public liability insurance, Street Works accreditation and a two-year maintenance guarantee.
- Driveway surface: Flintshire expects the hard standing to be porous or drain to a permeable area within your property. A non-permeable surface needs planning permission.
- Timescales: utility checks can take up to 12 weeks on more complicated jobs, so apply early.
Tips for a smooth application
- Measure the space. Councils want a car to fit fully within your property without overhanging the pavement.
- Check the road type. A, B and C roads are more likely to need planning permission.
- Look up. Street lights, lamp posts, trees and utility boxes near the kerb can all cause problems.
- Plan the driveway and kerb together so the drive lines up with the crossing and the levels match.
Can you help with the dropped kerb?
Yes. When we survey your driveway, we’ll look at where the crossing would go, flag anything likely to cause an issue and explain how it fits into the timeline for your new drive.
Council processes and fees change, so always check your council’s current page before applying: Cheshire West and Chester, Wirral, Flintshire.
