Resin over tarmac and concrete

In England, a new or replaced hard surface of more than 5 m² in a front garden is permitted development only if it is porous, or if rainwater drains to a lawn, border or soakaway within the property. An overlay on sealed tarmac or concrete does not drain through the old base, so the drive needs to fall towards a lawn, border or soakaway on your land, or the old base comes out for a permeable build.

Permitted development rights apply to houses, not flats or maisonettes, and some conservation areas have Article 4 directions that remove them. Listed buildings can need consent if railings or historic walls are affected.

Wales has its own permitted development rules on the same principle: a front-garden hard surface should be porous or drain to a permeable area on the property. An overlay on sealed tarmac or concrete does not drain through the old base, so the drive needs to fall towards a lawn, border or soakaway on your land, or the old base comes out for a permeable build.

In Wales, new construction with drainage implications covering 100 m² or more can also need approval from the council's SuDS Approving Body (SAB). Most domestic drives are smaller than that, but larger drives and extensions are checked at survey.

Scotland's householder permitted development rules allow many hard surfaces at a house where the surface is porous or water drains to a permeable area within the property. An overlay on sealed tarmac or concrete does not drain through the old base, so the drive needs to fall towards a lawn, border or soakaway on your land, or the old base comes out for a permeable build.

Flats, listed buildings and conservation areas are treated differently, so if any of those apply we suggest a quick check with your council's planning team before work starts.

Northern Ireland has its own permitted development order for houses, with conditions on hard surfaces and drainage: the simplest route is a surface that keeps rainwater within your boundary. An overlay on sealed tarmac or concrete does not drain through the old base, so the drive needs to fall towards a lawn, border or soakaway on your land, or the old base comes out for a permeable build.

Flats, listed buildings and conservation areas are treated differently, so if any of those apply it is worth checking with your council's planning team before work starts.