Widening drive

[Chris152]

I need to make it wider for the lad's car, once we've found the right one. At the end of the planned extension to the drive is this thing (the access point pretending to be a paving slab; proposed extension in red):

I'm assuming it's a telephone cable access point, but whatever it is, should it stop us widening the drive as planned? I'm not sure if we'll go with concrete or gravel, in case that makes any difference. And there's no plan to widen the access to the drive across the curb.
Thanks, Chris.

 

[Lazurus]

Go with 6mm sharp gravel in the plastic grids, saves time effort money and the gravel getting spread about.

 

[Chris152]

That's my preference, but I'd still need to use a whacker to compress the base layer of gravel/ hardcore, right?
My real concern's that I won't damage anything underground, coming from the access point/ cover thing to the house (directly behind me in the first photo) or anywhere else. Should I be checking with anyone?

 

[lurker]

Is the paved area between the grass and the road your property?

Good chance there are various services running under the grass to your home assuming the road in front is public.

 

[Lazurus]

It say P.O. on the thingy makes me think of an original GPO telehone line cover, can it be lifted for a look see?

 

[Richard_C]

I think you now need to get planning or building control consent for impermeable driveway work, all to do with reducing run off in rainstorms. Gravel should be fine, maybe check the rules online with your local council.

Our driveway is gravel on compacted hardcore, was when we moved in 25 yrs ago. Been fine. A wise man told me to use 20mm when I topped up, smaller can get stuck in your shoes and walked into the house especially by young children.

 

[flying haggis]

the manhole cover is over a bt duct which possibly leads to your house and others. as it is in the footpath it is presumably not meant to be driven over. BT or strictly speaking Openreach do have a free scheme whereby they will survey the ground before you dig and they possibly will tell you if the cover is strong enough for vehicle traffic.

https://www.openreach.co.uk/markuprequestform

 

[Chris152]

Is the paved area between the grass and the road your property?

No, that's a public footpath, our land finishes where the grass stops.
To the left (more-or-less at centre of the existing drive) is the water stop, also in the pavement, so I'm sure that (and presumably gas, which runs to the garage) runs under the existing concrete drive.

It say P.O. on the thingy makes me think of an original GPO telehone line cover, can it be lifted for a look see?

I think I'd need one of their lifting tools to do that, but my guess is you're right, it's telephone lines.

Richard - I asked a couple of people in the same estate who'd done it with concrete and they said no issue with the council - but anyway, I'm inclined to go with gravel, mainly because run off will be down a small incline to our front door!

If anyone knows for sure about that cover, please let me know if I need to do anything before widening! Cheers, C.

 

[Chris152]

the manhole cover is over a bt duct which possibly leads to your house and others. as it is in the footpath it is presumably not meant to be driven over. BT or strictly speaking Openreach do have a free scheme whereby they will survey the ground before you dig and they possibly will tell you if the cover is strong enough for vehicle traffic.

https://www.openreach.co.uk/markuprequestform

Thanks fh - the plan's for him not to drive over that part of the pavement, but to use the existing access, which is plenty wide enough for that purpose (my van can go forward enough to allow this). And if his driving's bad enough for him to drive over the cover, we're in trouble anyway...

ps Having opened the download - are you saying they'll come to check the land between the cover and my house to establish whether there's anything there we need to avoid? I believe I only need to dig down 20 - 25cm, but the real issue in my mind is damage weight may cause to what's beneath.

 

[flying haggis]

i think if any ducting is to the correct depth you will be ok for weight. if you get OR out they should know more than me

 

[Rich C]

Richard - I asked a couple of people in the same estate who'd done it with concrete and they said no issue with the council - but anyway, I'm inclined to go with gravel, mainly because run off will be down a small incline to our front door!

You're meant to get planning for anything over 5 square metres if it's non-permeable. Your neighbours may have just flown under the radar and gotten away with it. Gravel is definitely the safe option.

 

[llangatwgnedd]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source= ... 0109073909

 

[RogerS]

i think if any ducting is to the correct depth ....

Nary a truer word said. If BT put the ducting carrying the cable feeding the three properties up where I live at the proper depth then when the ditch cleaning gang, with their digger, who came along today would not have 'found' it.

Thank God for mobile tethering. Monday at the earliest.