Vehicle Crossing Application Guidance Notes

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• Vehicle Crossing Application Guidance Notes

These notes should be read in conjunction with the Pre-Application Checklist (FAQ's)

Please follow the links at the bottom of this page.

Please submit your Vehicle Crossing Application Form (see link at the bottom of this page), together with the consideration fee of £77, before you carry out any works to your frontage or wall/fence. If your application is approved, we will provide you with an estimated cost of constructing a crossing and any ancillary works.(see below) and information regarding its position and size. If this is acceptable, you can then proceed to open up your access and construct your hard-standing. Please inform us when this has been done, so that a site inspection can be undertaken. We will then confirm the cost of constructing the crossing.

Please make sure that when your hard-standing is constructed it is drained in a sustainable way, i.e. surface water drains into the adjacent ground or soakaway. Hard-standings that drain directly into your existing surface water connection to the sewer or drain onto the highway will not be accepted. A recent change in the planning regulations now requires planning permission to be given if the hard standing drains directly on to the highway or into a piped drainage system. To avoid having to apply for planning permission the hard standing should be of porous construction or drain into some form of soak-away provision.

If you are proposing to use a loose material to surface your hard-standing, you must provide an adequate and permanent retaining strip to prevent the material spilling onto the highway. The strip should be a minimum of 250mm wide and at least 40mm above the level of the hard-standing to retain the loose material.

Please note that a vehicle crossing forms part of the Public Highway and is being provided to strengthen the highway to allow vehicular access to the adjacent property. Although paid for by the applicant, it is within the Councils ownership and control. The location, specification and workmanship are at the discretion of the Council and will be influenced by other highway requirements.

Once you receive the initial estimate, you will be required to create a hard standing (a parking area) within the boundaries of your property. This needs to be a minimum of 4.57 metres (15ft) in length, measured at right angles to the highway, by 2.4 metres (7ft 10in) in width and should be constructed in such a way that it can accommodate the weight of the vehicle it is intended for. If you are unable to provide a parking area that is 4.57 metres in length, measured at right angles to the highway, your application will be refused. However, in exceptional circumstances, your Neighbourhood Committee, with the exception of Kingston Town Neighbourhood, may consider the local or individual situation and designate your property to allow "short frontage" parking.

Extensions to existing crossings will not have the same appearance or texture as the older surfaces they are being added to. This is not due to faulty workmanship or materials. If this is of real concern to you, the Technician dealing with your application will be able to give you some options and the associated additional costs to minimise the difference.

If the property is or was owned by the Council, you will need to obtain permission to park a vehicle within the property from the Housing Department. To gain this permission, which needs to be in writing, please contact your Area Housing Manager.

There are a number of circumstances where you will require Planning permission before you apply for a vehicle crossing. These are:

• If you wish to form your access onto a classified road (use the link at the bottom of this page for further information)
• You wish to form an access to a multi-dwelling property, i.e. flats, maisonettes
• You are proposing to construct your hard-standing without sustainable drainage i.e. your hard-standing will drain directly onto the highway or directly into the sewer system.

The estimated and actual cost of constructing a crossing is based upon our Contractor's schedule of rates current at the time. They will remain valid for a period of 3 months.

A crossing will not be ordered for construction until payment arrangements have been made. There are two options for payment:-

• Payment in full
• Payment by 10 equal instalments. An additional £25 arrangement fee needs to be added to the works estimate and a cheque for the first payment (10%) is to accompany the Form of Agreement.

Please note the monthly payment option is not available to businesses.

Please make cheques payable to 'Royal Borough of Kingston'

There are some occasions when ancillary works or procedures will be necessary in order to construct a crossing, e.g.

• Moving a street lighting column
• Moving a traffic sign and post
• Removing a tree and planting replacements
• Adjustment to Statutory Undertakers inspection covers in the footway (e.g. water, gas, cable TV)
• Amendment to parking bay(s) requiring a Traffic Management Order

The cost of any of the above ancillary works will be added to the cost of the crossing construction and paid for by the applicant.

The Council is very keen to preserve the Borough's stock of street trees. If a street tree is likely to be affected by your proposal and there is no acceptable alternative position for the crossing, the application will initially be rejected. However, the Council's Arboricultural Officer will be consulted to see if the tree needs to be retained or whether it can be removed. If the Arboricultural Officer considers that the tree does not warrant retention, he will give permission for its removal and stipulate the number of replacement trees that will be planted to compensate for its loss. The size of the tree removed will dictate the number of new trees required to be planted, i.e. Young (less than10cm dbh) = 1 tree, Small (11-20cm dbh) = 2 trees, medium (21- 40cm dbh) = 3 trees, large (greater than 41cm dbh) = 4 trees. dbh is the diameter of the tree at breast height (1.5m).

The Council's policy is to preserve large grass areas and wide verges. Applications for such locations will be considered on a site-specific basis but it is unlikely permission will be granted unless other crossings exist in the street of a similar nature.

Please note: If you require Planning Permission and/or other permissions, prior to applying for a crossing to be constructed, it is recommended that you apply for the other permissions first and do not submit your vehicle crossing application and payment.