Driveway and Landscape Tips

1. Choosing between resin, tarmac and block paving

Each surface suits a different home and budget. Resin bound gives a smooth, seamless finish in dozens of colours, is fully permeable and needs almost no maintenance – ideal for period homes and anyone who wants a decorative border or motif. Tarmac is the most cost‑effective way to cover a large or awkwardly shaped drive and copes well with heavy vehicles. Block paving and cobbles offer the widest range of patterns and the easiest repairs, because individual blocks can be lifted and relaid. If you’re unsure, we’ll bring samples of all three to your free site visit.

2. Planning permission and drainage

Since 2008, paving more than five square metres of a front garden needs planning permission unless the surface is permeable or rainwater drains to a lawn or border rather than the road. Resin bound driveways are permeable by design; tarmac and block paving need a permeable sub‑base or a channel drain to comply. We design every driveway to meet these rules, so you don’t need to apply for permission or worry about standing water at the garage door.

3. Getting the ground work right

A driveway is only as good as what’s underneath it. We excavate to 200–250 mm, lay a compacted MOT Type 1 sub‑base and install edging restraints before any surface goes down. It’s the stage you never see in the finished photos, but it’s the difference between a drive that lasts twenty years and one that sinks or cracks within three.

4. Looking after your new driveway

Resin bound: a hose and stiff brush twice a year, and a pressure wash on a fan setting if moss appears in shaded corners. Tarmac: keep oil and fuel spills wiped up, and avoid turning wheels on the spot in the first summer while it fully cures. Block paving: re‑sand the joints every couple of years and treat weeds early. Avoid rock salt on all three surfaces in winter – use a grit‑free de‑icer instead.

5. Planning the rest of the garden

If a patio, new lawn, retaining wall or fencing is on the wish list, it’s cheaper and quicker to do it alongside the driveway while the machinery is already on site. Our landscaping team can design the whole frontage and rear garden as one project, with a single quote and one point of contact.

Have a question we haven’t covered? Send us a message or call 01767 360037 – we’re happy to advise even if you’re not ready to book.