Project notes
From lawn frontage to block paving
Lawn frontage to block paving with a border. This is the kind of front where the kerb question comes up: the car has to cross the footpath to reach the new drive.
See more of our workDropped kerbs in Milton Keynes
Terry handles the council application and arranges the kerb with the drive, on one written price, so your new drive is legal to use.
- Council application handled
- Priced with the drive
- Free site visit
2026 award winnerBest Driveway Service in Milton Keynes
5.0★★★★★104 reviewsCharcoal block paving with a silver border on a detached house
- 299public reviews on five platforms
- 17 yearson the tools
- 10 yearswritten guarantee on drives and patios
- Freesite visit and written price
Award winner 2026
Best Driveway Service in Milton Keynes
Awarded by the Quality Business Awards 2026, with a quality rating of over 95%. Terry still quotes every job himself.
The straight answer
Do you need a dropped kerb, and what does it involve?
If your car crosses a footpath or verge to reach the drive, you need a dropped kerb, and the council has to approve it. Terry handles the council application and arranges the kerb with the drive. The council approves the contractor and sets the fee (in Bedford the council builds the kerb itself).
Who needs one
Anyone turning a front garden into a drive, widening an existing dropped kerb for a second car, or on a street where the old one was never done properly. On the terraces in Wolverton and the semis in Bletchley, where on-street parking is tight, getting a car off the street is worth a lot.
Why it matters
Driving over a normal kerb breaks the path and the services under it, and the council can order you to stop using the drive. A drive you cannot legally drive onto is not worth much. The kerb is priced on the same visit as the drive, so there is one written price for the whole job. See the block paving and resin bound pages for the drive itself.
Our work
Front gardens turned into drives.
Drag the handles. Grass and overgrown fronts turned into block paved drives, the kind of front where the car has to cross the footpath to get on.
Grass and a single path to a full-width block paving drive
Overgrown front to block paving and decorative gravel
Step by step
How a dropped kerb is done.
Permission first, then the kerb, then the drive behind it. All priced together.
- You get in touch
Ring Terry or WhatsApp a photo of the front and the kerb. He replies the same day with a rough idea and a day to visit.
- Terry checks the kerb
He measures the space, checks for lamp posts, trees and junctions, and tells you whether it is likely to be approved before you pay anything.
- Application
Terry puts the application in to the council's highways team and keeps you posted. The council sets the timescale and the fee.
- Kerb and footpath
Arranged with the drive: old kerbs out, lowered and sloping kerbs bedded on concrete, footpath relaid to the council's spec.
- The drive behind it
The drive goes on 200mm to 250mm of compacted stone with concrete-set edging and a gentle slope away from the road.
- Sign off and guarantee
Site cleared, the dropped kerb ready to use, and the guarantee in writing.
What moves the price
What moves the price of a dropped kerb.
The kerb is priced on the same visit as the drive. These are the things that change it.
Width of the dropped kerb
How many lowered kerbs, plus the sloping kerbs either side. A second car means a wider dropped kerb.
The council side
The application, and the fee and rules the council sets.
Footpath and verge
How much footpath or verge has to be dug out and relaid to the council's spec.
Doing the drive at the same time
Usually cheaper and tidier than two separate jobs, and the levels match.
The kerb and the drive come on one written price. WhatsApp a photo for a rough idea first. The written price comes after Terry’s free visit, once he has measured and seen what is underneath.
Reviews
What people say about their new drive.
5.0★★★★★104 reviewsFeatured review
5/5
“Terry and his team did a superb job on our block paving driveway. they were professional and fast, did a great job with the installation. Communication was excellent. They left the finished site clean and tidy, and looking a million times better than the old tarmac driveway and lawn.”
Tim Chantler, Google review
5/5
I had Unique driveways come out to do my drive, Terry come out to do the quote and was very friendly and professional, we had gravel driveway we decided to go for block paving to keep It as low maintenance as possible. The team were amazing left the job clean and tidy at the end even rated my cups…
5/5
Would 100% recommend Unique Driveways. Terry came to give a quote to do the front of my house on Saturday afternoon, they started the work Wednesday morning and the job was completed by Thursday afternoon. The guys worked really well, were polite and respectful and cleaned up well after they had…
5/5
Terry and his team recently done our driveway. We are absolutely in love before it looked all dull and chipped now it looks clean professional and modern exactly what we wanted and imagined it to look like, Terry and his team are friendly, professional and reliable, they left the job clean and took…
What you get in writing
A quote you can hold us to.
Terry's quote is a written document, not a number on the doorstep. The kerb, the footpath and the drive behind it come on one price, and it says what the council side involves.
The guarantee is set out in full on our guarantee page, including what it does not cover.
In every written quote
- A written price, agreed before we start
- Start date and days on site
- Kerb, footpath and drive on one price
- Sub-base under the drive: 200mm to 250mm of compacted stone
- Edging and drainage spelled out
- Waste taken away
- 10-year written guarantee
- Fully insured
- 14-day cooling off
Ask for the same list from anyone else quoting. If it is not in writing, it is not promised.
Questions people ask Terry.
Do I need a dropped kerb to park on my front garden?
Yes, if you drive over a footpath or verge to get there. Driving over a normal kerb is against the rules and can damage the path and any pipes under it, and the council can make you stop. A dropped kerb makes it legal.
Can I drop the kerb myself or use any builder?
No. The kerb and footpath belong to the council, so the work needs permission from the council's highways team. Terry handles the council application and arranges the kerb with the drive. The council approves the contractor and sets the fee (in Bedford the council builds the kerb itself).
How long does a dropped kerb take?
The council sets its own timescale for the application, and Terry tells you what to expect when he applies. The day count for the kerb and drive is on your written quote.
Does my driveway need planning permission as well?
Usually not. If the new drive is permeable or the rain runs off to a lawn or border on your own land, no planning permission is needed. Solid paving over 5 square metres draining onto the road needs it, and conservation areas and listed buildings can differ. The dropped kerb permission is a separate thing, from the council's highways team.
Can the council refuse a dropped kerb?
Yes. Common reasons are the space being too short for a car to fit fully off the road, a tree, lamp post or junction too close, or a bend with poor visibility. Terry checks the likely problems before you apply.
Can you do the kerb and the driveway together?
Yes, and it is usually cheaper and tidier to do both in one go. Terry prices the kerb and the drive on the same visit, and the kerb is done as the drive goes in so the levels match.
Where we lay it
Dropped kerbs across Milton Keynes.
The driveways page compares the three surfaces to go behind the kerb. Terry does dropped kerbs across Milton Keynes, including Wolverton and Bletchley. The cost guide explains what moves the price, our work has more finished fronts, and every review is public.
Every town we cover
Free site visit
Talk to Terry about your job.
Call Terry or WhatsApp a photo of the space. Or answer four quick questions below and send them to Terry by email.
- Free, on site, no obligation
- One written price, agreed before we start
- Terry replies the same day, Monday to Saturday
- 14-day cooling off
Step 1 of 4
What do you need?
Roughly how big?
Where is the project?
Milton Keynes and surrounding towns. We will confirm coverage when we contact you.
How should we contact you?
Prefer to talk now? Call 07444 589896.
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