Confirm the application route before drawing
Contact the council responsible for the road first. Depending on the highway status, property, works and local rules, the project may involve a domestic vehicle-crossing application, a planning application, both processes, or additional consent. Approval of the planning application does not by itself authorise work in the highway.
Also check whether the proposal includes impermeable front-garden paving, a new wall or gate, changes to a listed building or conservation-area frontage, or access onto a road subject to special controls. Those facts can alter the route and the information requested.
Prepare a location plan and a detailed access plan
Use the location plan to identify the property and application land. Use a separate existing-and-proposed plan, commonly at 1:200 or 1:500, to show the entire movement from road to parking space rather than outlining only a short length of kerb.
- Road name, carriageway edge, footway or verge and highway-facing boundary
- Existing and proposed kerb line and the proposed crossing width
- Driveway and parking dimensions, gates and pedestrian route
- Nearby junctions, crossings, trees, lamp columns, signs, drains and utility covers where relevant
- Visibility splays, gradients and forward-gear turning where the authority requests them
- Surface type, falls and where runoff will drain
Add drawings and evidence triggered by the site
A simple frontage may need only scaled plans, dimensions and photographs. A sloping site can need a section showing road, kerb, footway and driveway levels. The authority may also ask for a drainage detail, visibility drawing, tree information, swept-path analysis or a short transport statement where the context justifies it.
Photographs should be dated and labelled to match the plan. Do not draw a visibility splay across land you cannot control without explaining the ownership and how visibility would be retained.
Run a highway-and-planning consistency check
Use the same access width, parking layout, boundary position and drainage solution on every sheet and form. Check that the red line includes land necessary for the proposal, including the connection to the public highway where appropriate, while dealing with ownership certificates separately.
| Check | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | Can the intended vehicle enter, park and leave as the authority requires? |
| Pedestrian | Is the footway crossing and any gate arrangement clear? |
| Drainage | Will water be kept from discharging onto the highway? |
| Street features | Are trees, columns, covers and drainage assets accurately shown? |
| Documents | Do the highway and planning submissions describe the same scheme? |
Do not transfer England's rules across the UK
GOV.UK's dropped-kerb finder covers England and Wales, but highway and planning procedures are administered locally. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate planning systems, and the road authority may not be the same body as the planning authority. Use the receiving authority's current form, drawing checklist and technical specification.
Local requirements may differ. Check the current validation list for your planning authority before submitting.
Evidence checked 18 August 2026
Official sources and further reading
Planning requirements differ across the UK. The scope label on each source shows where it applies; always use the current rules for the authority receiving the application.
Questions people also ask
Is a planning location plan enough for a dropped kerb?
Usually not. The location plan identifies the site, but the highway or planning authority will normally need a closer existing-and-proposed drawing showing the crossing, footway, road, parking and relevant street features.
Does planning permission let my contractor alter the pavement?
No. Work in the public highway normally requires the highway authority's separate approval and must follow its construction and contractor rules.
Should the plan show drainage?
Yes where surfacing or levels change. Show the surface and direction of fall, and add a drainage detail if the authority requests one. Front-garden paving can have its own planning implications in England.
Do I need to show trees, lamp columns and utility covers?
Show every highway or frontage feature that could constrain the crossing. The authority may need a survey or separate consent before a tree, street-light column, drain or utility apparatus can be moved.
Ready to create your planning map?
Search by postcode or address, choose the scale and coverage, add your application boundary and download from UKPlanningMaps.com. For help with an unusual site, call 01856 898 022.
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