The 5 square metre rule and why permeability matters
Since October 2008, planning rules in England have said that if you want to surface more than 5 square metres of your front garden with an impermeable material, you need planning permission unless the water drains to a lawn, border or soakaway. The rule was introduced to reduce flash flooding caused by rainwater running off paved front gardens straight into the drains.
A properly installed resin bound driveway sidesteps this entirely. The stone and resin mix is laid with tiny voids throughout, so rainwater drains through the surface into the sub base below rather than running off. Because it counts as a permeable surface under the regulations, you can cover your whole frontage without applying for permission, whatever the size. This is one of the main reasons resin bound has become so popular for driveways in Shrewsbury and across Shropshire.
Resin bound versus resin bonded: the distinction that catches people out
Not all resin surfacing is permeable, and this is where homeowners get caught. Resin bound surfacing mixes the aggregate through the resin before laying, creating a porous finish that water passes through. Resin bonded surfacing is different: resin is spread onto an existing base and stone is scattered on top, leaving a sealed, impermeable layer underneath.
If you choose resin bonded for a front driveway larger than 5 square metres, you would need planning permission unless the water is directed to a permeable area within your property. Equally important is what sits beneath the resin. If a resin bound surface is laid over an old sealed concrete or tarmac base with no drainage provision, water cannot escape even though the resin itself is porous. A reputable installer will assess the existing base and either confirm it drains adequately, install a permeable sub base, or build in drainage such as an ACO channel.
- Resin bound: permeable, no permission needed for front driveways of any size
- Resin bonded: impermeable, the 5 square metre rule applies at the front
- Rear driveways and patios: the front garden rule does not apply, though drainage still matters
When you might still need permission in Shropshire
There are exceptions worth checking before work starts. If your home is listed, almost any alteration including a new driveway surface may need listed building consent. Shrewsbury has one of the largest collections of listed buildings in the county, so this is not a rare situation locally.
Conservation areas are another consideration. Permitted development rights still generally apply, but some properties are covered by an Article 4 direction, which removes those rights and means permission is needed for changes that would otherwise be automatic. Parts of central Shrewsbury and several Shropshire villages have these in place. Flats, maisonettes and some new build estates with restrictive covenants can also fall outside normal permitted development. A quick call or email to Shropshire Council's planning department will confirm your position, usually within a few days and at no cost.
Dropped kerbs are a separate approval
If you are creating a driveway where there was not one before, or widening your access, you will likely need a dropped kerb, and that is not a planning matter but a highways one. In Shropshire you apply to the council's highways team for a vehicle crossing, and the kerb work itself must be carried out by an approved contractor. Costs vary with the length of the crossing and whether services run beneath the footway, but budget somewhere in the region of £1,500 to £3,000 for the application and construction combined.
If your driveway already exists and you are simply resurfacing it in resin, none of this applies. You are replacing like for like and can go ahead once you are happy the drainage is sound.
