Block paving driveways in Bletchley.

Bletchley grew before the new city, so the fronts here were laid out for a path and a lawn, not two cars. Many houses have a narrow concrete strip down one side that is now cracked, and turning the whole front into one block drive with a contrasting border is the change that makes the biggest difference to these houses.

Some semis share a side access with next door. The drive is laid up to the boundary, and your neighbour's access is kept clear while the work goes on. Newton Leys, on the southern edge, is newer, with small block drives that can be extended across the front in a matching block.

Old Bletchley, the streets around St Mary's church and Bletchley Park, is a conservation area where the council prefers boundary walls that match the neighbours and frowns on close-boarded fencing at the front. A brindle or charcoal block with a natural stone edge, finished with a low wall or hedge, keeps a new drive in step with the street.

Turning a front garden into a drive here almost always means a new or wider dropped kerb onto the road. Terry handles the council application and arranges the kerb with the drive; Milton Keynes City Council approves the contractor and sets the fee. On the tight streets around Fenny Stratford, Water Eaton and the station, van and skip space is planned with you before day one.