Apply for a vehicular access
You can apply to the County Council for permission to have a vehicle crossing (usually a dropped kerb) installed on the road adjacent to your property. You can also apply for an existing vehicular access to be widened
- What is it for
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Approval is required to create or extend a vehicular access to a property (usually by lowering kerbs at the edge of a road.)
The process involves:
- In urban areas lowering of the kerbs at the edge of the road to allow access to the householder's property/driveway
- In more rural areas a section of soft verge may have to be removed and replaced to allow access to the householder's property/driveway
- Strengthening of the crossing from your property boundary to the edge of the road
- It may be necessary to move or protect street light columns, railings and bollards and any pipes or cables etc belonging to public utilities underneath the crossing
Approval from the council is not required for crossings on unadopted roads.
- How to apply
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The property owner should apply. If you are a tenant you will need to contact your landlord or housing association for written permission.
The approval process must be followed step by step. If you do not follow this process and you fail to meet the criteria defined in the pre-application checklist, your application may be refused with no refund.
Hampshire County Council offers a Fast Track application service for more urgent approvals
Making an application
- Gather supporting documents
- Ensure pre-application criteria are met
- Submit an online application for either a standard or fast-track application
- Make payment online
Approval process
- Engineer site visit
- Approval or refusal sent
- Approval is valid for 12 months
After approval
- Applicant appoints contractor
- Contractor applies for Section 171 licence to excavate the highway
- Section 171 licence assessed
- Applicant must view Section 171 licence before work starts
H Bar/Access Protection Markings
You may also wish to apply for Access protection markings or H bars. These are white markings, which are painted on a road across a dropped kerb. H bars can serve as a visual reminder to drivers, which helps to prevent unauthorised parking and deters motorists from obstructing access to driveways or properties. Access protection markings are not included as part of your vehicle crossing application.
If you would like to apply for these markings see the Access protection markings for more information.
- Before you apply
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To enable us to process your application quickly you will be asked to provide any information that supports your application. This might include:
- Photographs of the location
- Consent from property owner (if different from applicant)
- Letter or e-mail from a utility company affected confirming they are happy to move / adjust their apparatus
- Roads listed A, B or C are classified roads. If access is taken from a classified road you will need planning permission. To check if your road is classified, see the maintained roads database.
- Proof of planning permission being granted. If you do not have the required planning permission in place your application will be refused. Refer to the pre-application checklist for more detail.
Please review the Pre-application checklist to determine whether your property may be suitable for installing, or widening an access and to ensure you have all the supporting documentation required for an application.
It is essential that you read and understand the pre-application checklist prior to application.
The requirements for a crossing approval are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect best practice and in response to developing issues.
Applications are reviewed against the published criteria, current at the date of application.
Do not rely on the prior approval of similar accesses elsewhere as justification for your own specific application. These may have been reviewed against now outdated guidance.
Where applicable, Planning Permission does not override the technical requirements of the crossing approval, and your application may still be refused if it is not compliant.
- The approval process
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On receipt of your application and associated £187 fee, an engineer will visit the site to determine its suitability. Following this assessment we will write back to you with the outcome. This letter will consist of one of the following:
- site approval for your vehicle crossing works; this will be valid for a period of 12 months from the date of the letter
- rejection of your application and justification for this outcome
Should your application for a vehicle crossing be approved you will then be able to appoint your own contractor to carry out the works.
For standard applications we aim to undertake a site approval inspection and notify you of the outcome within eight weeks of receiving your application.
For Fast Track applications we guarantee to undertake a site approval inspection and notify of the outcome within two weeks of receiving your application.
- Fast Track service
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Hampshire County Council offers a Fast Track service if more urgent approval is required. This process guarantees a response to your application within two weeks. In order for your application to be processed within this timescale all relevant information detailed above must be provided with your initial application. The Fast Track timescale will not commence until we have received all the accompanying information.
Using this option will not influence the outcome of the application. Your application may still be refused, and this does not entitle you to a refund.
If Hampshire County Council are unable to respond within the two-week timeframe you will be contacted and may be entitled to a refund of the additional Fast Track fee.
Please note that the Fast Track option only applies to the vehicle crossing application and not any associated Road Opening licence.
- What happens after approval
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You will need to appoint a private contractor to do the works. Hampshire County Council does not hold a list of approved contractors, and we are unable to recommend any specific private companies to carry out the works. You may wish to use the Government’s Buy With Confidence website to find a suitable contractor.
The contractor you appoint must:
- hold £10m public liability insurance and indemnify both the applicant and Hampshire County Council on an appropriate certificate
- have operatives and supervisors who are trained and accredited to the requirements of the Codes of Practice under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991
- obtain a Section 171 Licence to excavate the highway. More information on this process can be found on our road opening licence webpage
- determine whether there is public utility apparatus that may need relocating or protecting. If this is the case the contractor should contact the relevant public utility company, or Enerveo where there are required changes to street lighting
Before your contractor starts work you must see evidence that they have an approved Section 171 Road Opening Licence. Work done under a Road Opening Licence is covered by the contractor for a maintenance period of 2 years.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your chosen contractor has received this approval. If your contractor proceeds with the works without this licence, they would be doing so illegally. It’s important to note that in such cases, Hampshire County Council will be unable to furnish you with any proof of legality for your vehicle crossing.
- Charges
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Upon application you will be required to pay the below fee. Have your payment details ready before submitting your application. Paying online will significantly speed up the application process as enquiries are not processed until payment has been received.
- £187
- non refundable application fee
Fast track service
Should you require more urgent approval; you have the option to use our fast track service. We guarantee to undertake a site approval inspection and notify of the outcome within two weeks. If you choose this option, an additional £85.50 will be added to the total cost of your application.
- Fast track service: 2 weeks
- £85.50
- Additional non refundable application fee
If the Fast Track service choice is selected, this charge will be added to the standard application fee of £187. This brings the total cost of the Fast Track service to £272.50.If you would like to cancel your application after submission, you may not be entitled to a full refund if work has already commenced to process it.
You will receive an automated receipt when paying for this service. No VAT is charged as this is a non-business service and the VAT is classed as ‘out-of-scope’. However, should it be required for your records, Hampshire County Council’s VAT number is GB 189 4068 22.
- Construction specifications
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Your chosen contractor shall adhere to the Construction Specifications for dropped kerbs
- Planning permission
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It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the relevant planning permissions/ consents are in place before applying for a vehicle crossing.
We recommend that you contact your local planning authority if your property falls into any of the following planning permission categories:
- you are constructing a hard standing using traditional impermeable materials (e.g concrete, impermeable paving blokes, bituminous etc)
- you are within a conservation area
- your property is on a classified road (A, B or C are classified roads)
- your property is a listed building
- your property is a multi-occupancy dwelling such as flats or maisonettes
- if the proposed vehicle crossing is not for the purpose of giving access only to the curtilage of a domestic dwelling house
- if permitted development rights have been removed from your property by the Local Planning Authority (you may not have received notification of this directly from the Planning Authority so are advised to check)
If you are not sure if your property falls into the above categories, we recommend you contact your local planning authority to discuss further. The local planning authority may charge for this service.
It is important to note that the applicant is responsible for ensuring that the correct permissions are obtained prior to application. In the event of a vehicle access being installed that is subsequently found not to have the required permissions it is your responsibility for arranging and paying for it to be reinstated to match the original condition. Should this not occur, then the Highway Authority may undertake this work and recharge the costs to you.
Planning Permission does not override the technical requirements of the crossing approval, and your application is likely to be refused if it is not compliant. Please review the current checklist before you apply for planning permission to minimise the risk of a rejection after planning has been granted.
- Section 278 agreements
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Accesses to larger domestic developments, industrial or commercial sites may require a Section 278 agreement.
A Section 184 licence permits a new vehicle crossing over a footway and/or verge. This normally includes dropped kerbs and strengthening the footway and verge. This licence is only suitable where the vehicle crossing is less than 10m in width and doesn't involve removal of any Highway features (trees, hedges, bollards or drainage).
If your application is wider than 10m, requires the removal/ amendment of any Highway features a S278 Minor Works application will be required.
- Apply
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If you’re happy and understand the conditions and charges