Dropped kerb in Hertfordshire: the rules and fees
Hertfordshire County Council charges £139 for an assessment and wants a parking space at least 5 m deep and 2.7 m wide. The fee comes back only if you cancel within 14 days of paying. The crossing must be at least 10 m from a junction (up to 15 m on main roads), with nothing above 0.6 m beside the opening.
Read from Hertfordshire County Council’s own pages on 11 October 2026. Hertfordshire, except Broxbourne borough, where Broxbourne Borough Council handles dropped kerbs. The district and borough councils decide planning.
- Fee: Hertfordshire County Council charges £139 for an assessment, refunded only if you cancel within 14 days.
- Space: a parking space at least 5 m deep and 2.7 m wide.
- Junctions: at least 10 m from a junction (up to 15 m on main roads).
- Who builds it: Hertfordshire builds the crossing itself.
- Decision: The assessment starts after a 14-day cooling-off period and aims to finish within 6 to 8 weeks.
Hertfordshire’s rules, one by one
| Rule | What Hertfordshire asks | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Depth of the space | The parking area must be at least 5 m deep and 2.7 m wide, counting bay windows, porches, utility cabinets and EV chargers; parallel parking needs 9.6 m by 3.5 m and is likely refused where there is a pavement and a verge. | HCC policy v7, Policy, things you should consider |
| Width of the space | At least 2.7 m wide; 9.6 m for parallel parking. | HCC policy v7, Policy, things you should consider |
| The crossing it builds | At most 4 flat kerbs (3.6 m) for one property, with one or two ramped kerbs; a double crossing for two properties gets 6 flat kerbs. | HCC policy v7, Policy, things you should consider |
| Distance from a junction | At least 10 m from a junction on either side; the officer may raise this to 15 m. | HCC policy v7, Policy, position of the access |
| Walls and hedges beside the opening | A triangle from the centre of the access at the back of the footway, 2 m into the drive and 2 m to each side along the footway, with nothing above 0.6 m inside it. | HCC splay guidance, Pedestrian visibility splay guidance |
| Street trees | Highway trees are not removed. Work inside a root protection area needs a tree officer’s assessment, paid in advance, and hand digging; never within 2 m of the stem, and not near a tree with a preservation order or in a conservation area. | HCC policy v7, Policy, trees |
| Street lights | No dropped kerb within 1 m of an existing street light; where a move is possible you pay for it. | HCC policy v7, Policy, question 9 |
| Other street furniture | Covers may be altered in the works; cabinets cannot be moved by the council, and the utility company may refuse, in which case the fee is not refunded. | HCC policy v7, Policy, utility covers and cabinets |
| Bus stops | Bus stops are not moved for a dropped kerb, unless your planning permission includes moving it. | HCC policy v7, Policy, bus stops |
| Slopes | The driveway, parking area and the dropped kerb itself must be no steeper than 1 in 10. | HCC policy v7, Policy, gradient |
| Pedestrian crossings | Must not affect traffic lights or a pedestrian crossing, and you must be able to see the signal head from the car. | HCC policy v7, Policy, traffic lights and crossings |
| Parking bays and laybys | A designated layby or marked bay at the access means refusal; in a controlled parking zone you need the district council’s agreement and pay for any order change. | HCC policy v7, Policy, laybys, marked bays and controlled parking zones |
| Grass verges | Crossings over large areas of amenity grass that would harm the street scene are not approved. | HCC policy v7, Policy, introduction |
| A second crossing | No second dropped kerbs: one access point per property. A widened kerb stops at 4 flat kerbs and is refused if it costs on-street parking. | HCC policy v7, Policy, second dropped kerbs |
| Fast roads | On a road with a limit of 40 mph or more, only approved with room to turn the car round inside the property. | HCC policy v7, Policy, fast roads |
| Drainage | No surface water from the drive on to the pavement, road or a highway drain. | HCC policy v7, Policy, question 14 |
| The drive surface | Driveways over 5 m² must be permeable; loose gravel needs a way of keeping it off the pavement. | HCC policy v7, Policy, question 13 |
| Loose gravel | Loose gravel or shingle is not ideal, as it can be dragged on to the road or pavement; if you use it, you must fit something that stops it being dragged out. | HCC policy v7, Policy, question 13 |
| Permission from the owner | Tenants need the landowner’s approval first, and any strip of land between the boundary and the highway needs its owner’s consent. | HCC policy v7, Policy, consent from the landowner |
What it costs in Hertfordshire
| What you pay | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment feeRefunded in full if you cancel within 14 days of paying; non-refundable after that. | £139 | HCC dropped kerbs page |
| Building the crossingThe council quotes for the works after the assessment; its online estimate tool gives a guide for a standard crossing. | quoted for your site | HCC dropped kerbs page |
Hertfordshire builds the crossing itself. Only the county council’s contractor builds dropped kerbs. If approved you get a quote and a drawing; works follow 12 to 14 weeks after you pay.
Applying, and what happens next
- The assessment starts after a 14-day cooling-off period and aims to finish within 6 to 8 weeks.
- The approval and quotation are valid for 6 months.
- A senior manager reviews every refusal before it is sent. You can appeal in writing within six months if you think the policy was applied wrongly, not because you disagree with it.
Planning permission in Hertfordshire
The highway consent and planning permission are separate. Nationally, an access on to an unclassified road and a porous or drained hard surface are permitted development for a house; Hertfordshire adds:
- Hertfordshire says planning permission is normally needed off an A, B or C road, and for commercial sites, flats or maisonettes; get it before you apply. (HCC policy v7)
- Letchworth Garden City needs the Heritage Foundation’s consent and Welwyn Garden City the Estate Management Scheme’s, before you apply. (HCC dropped kerbs page)
Also worth knowing in Hertfordshire
- A records check on an existing dropped kerb costs £25; an assessment if no record is found costs £139. (HCC dropped kerbs page)
- Whether you have an electric vehicle or not, the policy is applied the same way. (HCC policy v7)
Questions
Does Hertfordshire refund the fee if it refuses?
Only if you cancel within 14 days of paying; after that the £139 is not refunded, whatever the outcome.
Can I use my own contractor in Hertfordshire?
Only the county council’s contractor builds dropped kerbs. If approved you get a quote and a drawing; works follow 12 to 14 weeks after you pay.
How long is a Hertfordshire approval valid?
The approval and quotation are valid for 6 months.
Related
- Check your driveway in 3DEvery rule for your council, in 3D.
- Dropped kerb rules comparedDepth, width, splays, junctions, trees.
- What it costsFees from £55.06 to £500, and the works.
- Havering rules and fees£261 to apply, a space 4.8 m deep.
- Waltham Forest rules and fees£475 to apply, a space 4.8 m deep.
- Surrey rules and fees£383 to apply, a space 4.8 m deep.
Sources: Hertfordshire County Council, Dropped kerbs; Hertfordshire County Council, Residential Dropped Kerbs Policy, version 7 (8 May 2026); Hertfordshire County Council, Pedestrian visibility splay guidance (May 2026); all read on 11 October 2026. National rules: Highways Act 1980, s.184, GPDO 2015, Part 2 Class B and Part 1 Class F. legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK content is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0; council figures are quoted as facts with their source, not copied text. Not legal advice and not a decision: the council decides after its own site visit. Not affiliated with any council or government department.