Planning a front garden driveway in Atherton
Around Atherton, plots are often larger and drives longer, so edging, falls and the route the water takes need planning.
Terraced streets across the North West often have very short frontages, so we check parking depth before quoting a conversion.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Atherton?
Guide price in Atherton: £85–£140 per m² including VAT, which puts a 50 m² double drive at about £4,250–£7,000. These are North West guide figures; the survey confirms the real price before you commit.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Concrete block driveway, new sub-base | £85–£140 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £10–£40 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £20–£50 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £350–£1,000 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £1,000–£3,000 |
Guide figures for the North West, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What is included?
We check those three things before anything else. A typical small front garden needs the boundary wall or hedge opened, the ground dug out, a sub-base built and the surface laid so rain drains into a planted strip or through permeable blocks. Keeping a narrow planted border is often what makes the drainage work.
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
What we check on an Atherton survey
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
Do you need permission in Atherton?
Atherton is in England, so these rules apply:
In England, paving in front of the house that covers more than 5 m² needs planning permission unless it is permeable or drains to a lawn, border or soakaway inside your boundary. Permeable block paving, or standard blocks laid to fall onto a planted strip, avoid the need for permission in most cases.
Flats and maisonettes, listed buildings, and homes covered by an Article 4 direction can have tighter rules, and conservation areas, National Parks and National Landscapes restrict some permitted development.
A dropped kerb needs your local highway authority's approval (usually the county, unitary, metropolitan or London borough council), and a new access onto an A, B or C classified road also needs planning permission.
General guidance, not legal advice. Your survey confirms what applies to your home. See the planning guide.
What happens next
Quick details
Your postcode and the job. It takes a minute.
On-site check
Measurements, levels against the damp-proof course, ground and drainage.
Itemised quote
Fixed once the specification is agreed, with no vague extras.
Laid and finished
Compacted, jointed and handed back clean.
Why choose Block Paving Contractors
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
Front garden drives in Atherton: questions
Can you match the blocks to my house in Atherton?
We bring samples to the survey and suggest blocks and borders that suit the age and brick of the house. Final colour is your choice.
Do I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Atherton?
In England, a front drive over 5 m² needs planning permission unless it is permeable or drains to a lawn or border within your boundary. Ask us on the survey if you are unsure.
Is the survey in Atherton free?
Yes, for new paving here: the survey and written quote are free with no obligation. Repairs and cleaning are usually priced from photos, or from a short visit where needed.
Do you cover Tyldesley, Westhoughton and Leigh?
Yes. We cover Atherton and the places around it, including Tyldesley, Westhoughton and Leigh, and the rest of Greater Manchester.
Front garden drives near Atherton
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Greater Manchester:
- Front garden drives in Tyldesley
- Front garden drives in Westhoughton
- Front garden drives in Leigh
- Front garden drives in Hindley
- Front garden drives in Walkden
- Front garden drives in Farnworth
