New homes, new questions
The name Mandale goes back a long way: Mandale Beck once flowed through farmland and powered a mill before the aerodrome and later housing covered and culverted it. Today's Mandale Park is new-build, and new-build frontages raise questions older homes do not.
Covenants and shared areas
Before you change a new-build frontage, check:
- Your deeds for covenants about front gardens, parking or boundary changes.
- Management company rules for any shared or landscaped areas.
- Who owns the verge or strip between your drive and the footway; it may not be yours.
Builder drives
House-builders often lay a basic drive on a modest sub-base. Signs it needs attention include dips where the car parks, blocks rocking at the edges and puddles that do not drain. Relaying on a deeper sub-base usually cures it. See block paving.
Second car
Extending onto a lawn usually needs the crossing widened to match. Apply to the council first, then plan the extension so drive and crossing line up. Keep the new section permeable, or drained into the garden.
Patios
New-build gardens are often turfed straight onto compacted subsoil. A patio by the back door, on a proper base and falling away from the house, makes the garden usable year-round.
Common questions
Can I widen my drive without asking anyone?
The drive itself often needs no planning permission, but covenants may apply and the crossing needs council approval.
My drive is only a few years old and sinking. Why?
Usually a thin or poorly compacted sub-base. It can often be lifted and relaid.
Is permeable paving worth it?
Yes, especially where gardens drain slowly.
Who maintains the footway?
Adopted footways are the council's responsibility.