What to know before a permeable block drive in Canning Town
Canning Town is a sizeable town with a mix of semis, terraces and newer estates, and many drives here were first laid decades ago.
Front gardens in much of London are short, so parking depth and the dropped kerb usually decide whether a drive is possible.
How much does a permeable block drive cost in Canning Town?
Expect permeable block drives in Canning Town to come in at around £125–£205 per m², including VAT at 20%. As an example, a 50 m² drive usually comes to between £6,300 and £10,200.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Permeable block paving driveway | £125–£205 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £12–£50 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £25–£60 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £420–£1,200 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £1,200–£3,600 |
Guide figures for London, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What you get with our permeable paving service
It is the straightforward way to pave a front garden without sending rain into the road, which matters because in England a non-permeable front surface over 5 m² that does not drain to a permeable area within the property needs planning permission, and in Wales any new front surface must be permeable or drain within the property. The build is different from a standard drive from the ground up, so it has to be designed as permeable rather than just using different blocks.
- Geotextile layer where the design needs one
- Deeper dig-out for the open-graded sub-base
- Open-graded crushed stone (no fines) laid and compacted in layers
- Grit laying course and permeable blocks with grit-filled joints
- Edge restraints and any overflow or outlet the design needs
What we check on a Canning Town survey
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Trees and roots near the drive
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
Rules for front drives in Canning Town
Canning Town 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
Send the basics
Postcode, what you need and a rough size. Photos help.
Survey
We measure, check levels, ground and drainage, and talk through blocks and patterns.
Written quote
An itemised quote with the specification, the price and the start date.
The work
Our paving team builds it to the agreed specification and leaves the site swept.
What you can expect from us
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
One point of contact
You deal with one team from survey to sign-off, with work carried out by paving teams working under S&K.
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Permeable paving in Canning Town: questions
Do you cover Stratford, Canary Wharf and Greenwich?
Yes. We cover Canning Town and the places around it, including Stratford, Canary Wharf and Greenwich, and the rest of Greater London.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Canning Town?
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.
What happens to my old drive?
It is broken out and taken away by skip or grab lorry, listed as its own line on your quote.
Is the survey in Canning Town 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.
Permeable paving near Canning Town
Nearby towns we cover for permeable paving, and permeable paving across Greater London:
- Permeable paving in Stratford
- Permeable paving in Canary Wharf
- Permeable paving in Greenwich
- Permeable paving in Barking
- Permeable paving in Ilford
- Permeable paving in Leytonstone
