About dropped kerbs
Dropped kerbs, also known as 'crossovers' allow vehicular access over a footway to areas of off-street parking.
Who can apply?
We take the following into account when assessing your application for a crossover:
- the proposed hard standing area for off-street parking must be a minimum of 4.8 metres deep and 2.4 metres wide. There must also be a path with a minimum width of 1.2 metres from the parking area to the front door of the property
- the pavement on the public highway adjacent to the property must be a minimum of 2.2 metres wide
- visibility sightlines between vehicles using the proposed crossover and other users of the highway, including pedestrians, must be unimpeded by obstructions such as boundary walls or fences, trees, and street furniture such as signs and bus shelters
- the proposal must not require any loss of on-street parking or loading/unloading provision on the public highway adjacent to the property. This includes parking for resident permit holders, business permit holders, blue badge holders, electric vehicles, car clubs, and cycles
- the proposal must not require any loss of or damage to grass verge, planting, or trees on the public highway adjacent to the property
- crossovers will not be permitted in the following circumstances:
a. on roads where vehicle speeds have been surveyed and shown to exceed the speed limit
b. within ten metres of a junction or a pedestrian crossing. This may be extended to twenty metres at traffic signals. Crossovers will not be permitted within zig zag road markings
c. within ten metres of a bus stop or bus shelter, or within bus stop road markings. This criterion is important on road safety grounds and to ensure that accessibility and safety for bus passengers is not affected
d. in the direct vicinity of schools - the proposal must not prevent the Council from implementing schemes defined in the Camden Transport Strategy and including the 3 year forward programme at the time of the application
- any new hard surfaces proposed as part of the crossover application for a driveway should be formed using traditional materials such as concrete paving slabs, granite setts, or loose gravel. The hard surface should either be made from a permeable construction or otherwise be designed to drain into an area of soft landscaping within the property boundary. Any proposal which would result in rainwater running off on to the public highway would not be acceptable
We also refer to Camden Planning Guidance when assessing crossover applications. CPG7 (Transport) has a section on vehicle access and this is worth referring to when preparing crossover applications. CPG7 is available on the Camden website:
In addition, you may also need planning permission to be eligible for a crossover. Planning permission may be required in the following cases:
- site located on a classified road
- property subdivided into flats
- site located within a conservation area
- provision of a hard standing area exceeding 5sqm
The Planning Advice and Information Service can advise if planning permission is necessary:
You are strongly advised not to undertake any renovations to your property to accommodate off-street parking where a crossover is required before you have consent and any necessary planning permission.