How much does a dropped kerb cost in Worcestershire?
Cathedral Landscapes dropped kerb installation in Worcestershire is finished in a few hours on site – typically just a few hours, not days – so the disruption to your day and your street is minimal. The standard residential install covers:
• Traffic Management Act compliant signage and cones for the duration of the work
• Removal of the existing upstand kerb units
• Supply and bedding of lowered kerb units on a concrete foundation
• Transitional "splay" kerbs on each side of the drop
• Tactile paving where required at a pedestrian crossing point
• Full-depth Type 1 sub-base and tarmac reinstatement of the footway
• All spoil removal and final clean
Council fees are separate. You apply to Worcestershire County Council for the Vehicle Crossing approval and pay their application and inspection fees directly. This isn't included in our install quote because we don't act on your behalf with the council; you submit the application as the homeowner. The council's current fee schedule is published on their Vehicle Crossing page.
What can move the install price up:
Footway width – wider footways need more material and more reinstatement. A 1.5m footway is cheaper than a 3m one.
Existing kerb type – granite kerbs cost more to remove and replace than concrete. Conservation areas with mandated granite specifications add cost.
Utility apparatus – if gas, water or BT plant under the footway needs protection or relocation, this adds cost (the utility company prices this separately and we coordinate the site works).
Traffic management – quiet residential road with signed working is cheapest; classified A or B road needing convoy working or partial closure costs more.
We provide a free written quote, valid for 30 days, with the full breakdown so you see exactly what's included. See the dropped kerb services page for the install detail.
Do I need council permission for a dropped kerb?
Yes – absolutely. Under the Highways Act 1980 the public footway and kerb is part of the public highway, owned and maintained by the local Highways Authority. You cannot alter it without permission. In Worcestershire that permission is a Vehicle Crossing approval from Worcestershire County Council, and the homeowner applies for it directly.
What you'll need to do:
1. Apply to Worcestershire County Council – the Vehicle Crossing application is made on the WCC website (search "Worcestershire vehicle crossing"). You'll need: your address details, a sketch or measurement of the proposed drop width, photographs of the existing footway and kerb, and the application fee. The council form walks you through it.
2. Council site inspection – an inspector visits to assess visibility splays at the road edge, footway width and condition, off-street parking depth on your side (typically 4.8m minimum), utility apparatus under the footway, and proximity to junctions, crossings and street lights.
3. Approval notice – the council issues a written approval with any conditions (timing restrictions, specific kerb specifications, additional traffic management). Approval is typically valid for 12 months.
4. Choose a contractor and install – once approved, you commission an experienced highways contractor (us, or another) to carry out the install. We schedule install within 2 to 4 weeks of you contacting us with your approval notice.
5. Final inspection – the council inspector returns to verify the work meets the approval conditions and sign off.
Cathedral Landscapes carries out the install. The application side is the homeowner's responsibility – this keeps the process clean and means you have the official approval directly from the council with no middleman.
Can I install a dropped kerb myself?
No. The physical work on the public footway and kerb has to be carried out by an experienced highways contractor working to Worcestershire County Council specifications – for kerb units, sub-base depth, tactile paving placement, traffic management and reinstatement materials. DIY installs are non-compliant and the council will require them to be removed.
What happens if non-compliant work is carried out:
1. Enforcement notice. The council can issue a notice requiring you to remove the works at your own cost.
2. Cost recovery. The council can carry out remedial works themselves and bill the homeowner for the removal and reinstatement.
3. Civil liability. If a member of the public is injured because of a defective dropped kerb, the homeowner is potentially liable.
Cathedral Landscapes carries out the physical kerb install once your Worcestershire County Council Vehicle Crossing approval is in place. Our crews work to council specifications and carry full public liability insurance for highway works. The application side is yours to handle – the install is ours.
How long does the dropped kerb process take?
The end-to-end timeline splits into two phases – the council permission stage (which you handle) and the install stage (which we handle). Typical total: 6 to 10 weeks.
Phase 1: Council application – typically 4 to 8 weeks (you handle)
Week 1 – you submit the Vehicle Crossing application to Worcestershire County Council via their website with your sketch, photos and application fee.
Weeks 2–5 – council processes the application and schedules a site inspection.
Weeks 5–7 – council inspector visits, confirms feasibility, checks utility records, issues the approval notice with any conditions.
Phase 2: Install – typically 2 to 4 weeks (we handle)
Week 1 – you contact us with your approval notice. We arrange a free site visit, measure and photograph, and email a written quote within 24 hours.
Weeks 2–3 – you confirm the quote, we book an install date that works for both sides.
Install day – traffic management goes in, existing kerb lifted, new dropped kerb and splays bedded on concrete, Type 1 sub-base laid, tarmac reinstated and tamped. Site cleaned. Typically a few hours on site.
After install – you notify the council the works are complete; they send their inspector for sign-off.
What can extend the timeline:
• Council backlogs in busy periods (typically spring/summer)
• Utility apparatus that needs protection or relocation (utility company adds their own timeline)
• Heritage / conservation area additional consultation
• A or B road traffic management arrangements requiring police notification
Bundling the dropped kerb with a new driveway works well – you handle the kerb application while the driveway is being planned, so once approval lands both jobs can run together.
Why might my dropped kerb application be refused?
Four reasons account for most Worcestershire County Council refusals. Worth checking these before you apply – we can take a look at your site for free and tell you what you'll likely be up against:
1. Poor visibility splays at the road edge. When you emerge from your driveway, you need a clear sight line in both directions for a minimum distance (typically 25–43m depending on traffic speed). If parked cars, walls, hedges or street furniture obstruct the visibility splay, the council will refuse on safety grounds. Sometimes minor remedial works (lowering a hedge, removing a tree) can rescue an application.
2. Insufficient off-street parking depth. The council requires your driveway to be deep enough to park a car completely off the footway and road – typically 4.8 metres or more from the back of the footway. Shorter driveways risk vehicles overhanging the pavement. If your existing driveway is too short, sometimes the front garden can be extended into to make space.
3. Conflict with utility apparatus. Gas, water, electricity, BT/Openreach and surface water sewer assets all run under the public footway. If installing your dropped kerb would require relocating buried plant, the council will require this to be arranged with the utility company (at the homeowner's cost) before approval. Sometimes the apparatus can be protected in place; other times relocation is needed.
4. Proximity to junctions, crossings or street lights. Standard refusal criteria: too close to a road junction (typically 10m+ exclusion zone), a pedestrian crossing (15m+), or a street light column (the council may require relocation of the column at the homeowner's cost). Bus stops and parking bays also have exclusion zones.
Less common refusal reasons: classified A or B road with high traffic speeds and inadequate visibility, conservation areas with specific design constraints, listed buildings, and trees with Tree Preservation Orders within the works area.
If you'd like a second pair of eyes before you submit your application, book a free site visit – we'll walk the site with you and flag the likely sticking points.
Does a dropped kerb stop people parking in front of my house?
Yes. Once a dropped kerb is installed and signed off by the council, parking across it is an offence under the Traffic Management Act 2004. The offence applies even to the homeowner's own vehicles – you can't park across your own dropped kerb to block other people, because the kerb's protection works both ways.
Enforcement options for blocked dropped kerbs:
1. Report to West Mercia Police via their non-emergency line. Police can issue Fixed Penalty Notices for obstruction and arrange removal of the offending vehicle to a compound.
2. Report to Worcestershire County Council Highways for vehicles blocking access. The council can issue notices and recover removal costs from the offender.
3. Report online through the council Fix My Street system for non-urgent obstructions.
In practice, getting enforcement on the day a vehicle is blocking your access depends on availability of police and council resources. The legal protection is real but response can be slow for non-emergency cases. The deterrent effect of the dropped kerb itself is significant though – most drivers do not park across an obvious dropped kerb because they recognise the access right.
If you have persistent blocking from a known neighbour or local resident, the formal route is to log a series of complaints with photographic evidence (time-stamped) through the council; persistent offenders can be prosecuted.
The legal protection is the main reason many homeowners install a dropped kerb even where the driveway already exists informally – the kerb converts a casual access into a legally protected one.
What is the minimum width for a dropped kerb?
Worcestershire highways specifications typically require a minimum 2.4 metres of dropped kerb for a single vehicle. The dropped section is flanked by transitional "splay" kerbs on each side – these are shaped kerb units that ramp from the standard upstand kerb height down to the dropped flush height over about 300mm of length. Splays let pedestrians cross the kerb gradient comfortably and stop wheelchair users catching wheels on a sudden vertical edge.
Wider drives need a proportionally wider dropped kerb:
• Standard single vehicle drive – 2.4m minimum dropped section + 300mm splay each side = 3.0m total
• Wide single drive with car turning space – 3.0–3.6m dropped section
• Double vehicle width drive – 4.8m dropped section + splays = 5.4m total
• Twin entrance with central island – two separate 2.4m drops with traffic island between, totalling 6m+
The dropped kerb width is determined by your driveway width, not a free choice. The council will not approve a dropped kerb wider than your driveway because the excess area then encourages parking on the footway.
Final dimensions are confirmed during the council inspection. We can measure your driveway and advise on the right width during a free site visit so you know what to put on your application.
Can I drop a kerb on a classified or busy road?
Sometimes – depends on visibility, traffic speed and the specific road classification. The harder the road category, the harder the council application will be:
Unclassified roads (most residential streets) – the easiest category. Applications are usually approved subject to the standard visibility, depth and utility checks. Worcestershire County Council typically processes these in 4–6 weeks.
Classified B roads (numbered B-routes through villages and minor towns) – more demanding. Stricter visibility splay requirements (longer sight distances because of higher traffic speeds). Some B roads in Worcestershire are 50mph limit, which sets a 70m visibility splay requirement – achievable on many sites but not all. Applications usually approved on tight sites only with planning conditions.
Classified A roads (A-routes, often dual carriageways and main commuter roads) – most challenging. Visibility splays may be 90–215m depending on the speed limit. Conservation impact assessments may apply. Traffic management often requires convoy working or partial closures coordinated with West Mercia Police. Applications are often refused on safety grounds. Where approved, install costs are higher because of the traffic management requirements.
Trunk roads (managed by National Highways rather than the local council) – application goes to National Highways rather than Worcestershire County Council. Process is similar but slower; applications are scrutinised more closely on safety grounds.
If you're on a busy road and not sure whether it's worth applying, book a free site visit. We'll walk the road frontage with you, look at the sight lines and traffic, and give you an honest view on the likely outcome before you spend the council application fee.
Do I need a dropped kerb for a new driveway?
If your new driveway crosses the public footway – the pavement – then yes, by law you need a dropped kerb. Driving over a standard upstand kerb to reach an "informal" driveway is illegal under the Highways Act and damages the kerb, which the council can charge you to repair.
What counts as "crossing the public footway":
• Driveway from the public road across the pavement to a domestic driveway – YES, needs dropped kerb
• Driveway from a shared private road or estate road – usually NO, this isn't public footway
• Driveway from a closed cul-de-sac end – depends, check with council
• Driveway from a rear access way maintained as private – usually NO
If you're not sure whether the road outside your house is "public adopted highway" with public footway, check the council's adopted highways map (or just ask us – we check during the free site survey).
For new driveway projects, we sequence the kerb install (once you have your council approval) and the driveway works as one project – the dropped kerb goes in first, then the tarmac, resin or block paving is laid up to it for a continuous, clean finish. The kerb itself is only a few hours on site, so it adds very little to the overall driveway timetable.
If your driveway already has a dropped kerb (most existing residential driveways do), you don't need a new one. Check that the existing kerb is still in service and not decommissioned by the council. We'll confirm during the site visit. See the new driveways page.
How long does a dropped kerb last?
The precast concrete kerb units themselves have a working life of 30+ years on a proper concrete foundation. They are essentially permanent – the most common reason for replacement is council road widening or a deliberate decommissioning rather than wear-out.
The tarmac footway reinstatement – the surface dressing where we made good after lifting the original kerbs – has a typical life of 10 to 15 years under heavy footway use. After that period the tarmac may show wear and benefit from a fresh thin overlay. This is a small maintenance job, not a full re-install.
What can shorten kerb life:
• Heavy commercial vehicle use beyond the residential specification – HGVs, large vans, frequent skip lorries can crush kerbs and the underlying concrete bed.
• Settling of the original concrete bed – if the bed wasn't placed at adequate thickness or compacted properly, the kerb units can rotate or sink. Rare with approved contractors.
• De-icing salt build-up – calcium chloride attacks the concrete surface over years. Sodium chloride rock salt is fine.
• Impact damage – a reversing vehicle hitting the splay kerb hard can crack it.
The good news: damaged individual kerb units can be replaced in isolation by an approved contractor without re-doing the whole installation. The tarmac reinstatement around the replaced unit is made good.
Insurance: many home insurance policies cover damage to your dropped kerb caused by third-party vehicles (delivery drivers reversing into it, for instance). Worth checking your policy.
