Service 02 — Watford & 20 miles
Driveways
Block paving and resin-bound surfaces with drainage designed in, not bolted on.
How we build it
A driveway carries a tonne and a half of car through a Hertfordshire winter, so we build for load first: 150–250mm compacted sub-base, machine-screeded laying course, and edge restraints set in concrete haunching.
Every drive we design is SuDS-compliant from the first sketch — permeable block, resin-bound over an open-grade base, or engineered falls to soakaways — so you avoid planning trouble and your rainwater goes where it should.
Guide prices — 2026
fixed quote after survey
- Block-paved driveway
- from £130/m²
- Resin-bound drivewayover existing sound base; new base priced on survey
- from £120/m²
- Permeable block system
- from £145/m²
- Dropped kerb (council application + build)
- from £1,800
Materials & spec
- Block paving
- Tumbled and chamfered concrete or clay pavers, machine-laid herringbone for maximum interlock.
- Resin-bound
- UV-stable resin with kiln-dried quartz aggregate — a seamless, permeable, weed-free surface.
- Permeable systems
- Priora-style blocks and open-grade sub-bases that drain through the surface itself.
- Drainage
- ACO channels, linear drains and soakaways sized to your run-off, not a guess.
Planning — SuDS & the 5m² rule
Since 2008, paving more than 5m² of front garden with an impermeable surface that drains to the highway requires planning permission. Permeable surfaces — or drainage to a soakaway or border — keep you within permitted development. Every Forged driveway is designed SuDS-compliant as standard.
Interactive — SuDS & the 5m² rule
Will your new driveway need planning permission?
Since 2008, front-garden surfaces over 5m² must be permeable — or drain to a permeable area — to stay within permitted development.
Planning permission required
30 m² total
30m² of impermeable surface draining towards the highway exceeds the 5m² allowance. We'd redesign this permeable — usually at similar cost — or handle the planning application for you.
Guidance, not legal advice — confirmed against your borough's policy at survey. Every Forged driveway is designed SuDS-compliant as standard.
Photography: curated comps standing in for Forged project imagery — see the shot list in the project docs.
Asked often
Driveways, answered.
Not if the surface is permeable, or run-off drains to a lawn or border — that's permitted development. Over 5m² of impermeable surface draining to the road needs planning consent. Use the checker on this page; we design compliance in either way.
A new vehicle crossover (dropped kerb) needs approval from Hertfordshire County Council or your borough — we handle the application and the licensed build.
Block paving: 48 hours. Resin-bound: foot traffic in 8 hours, vehicles after 24–48 depending on temperature.