Driveway Advice Wanted Please

[joe90k]

I am currently trying to work out the best way to improve my driveway. As it stands our house has a big enough driveway to put two cars on, however large steps have been built using concrete edging stones and filled with tarmac after hardcore. Pictures speak a thousand words....

I want to remove the tree, shorten the stupid steps to a sensible level, install edging stone where the grass is growing over the paving slabs on the side access path, adapt the existing drive to cater for a new surface by installing new edging stones and then install some sort of surface that is suitable for parking a car on.

Again pictures speak a thousand words...

Red is the outline of the new surface, the blue is where I plan to shorten the steps to, I also intend to install another small step just in front of that so that the rise is not too great.

My thoughts so far were initially, to cut the existing tarmac as per the red lines and break up the un wanted for removal, install edging stone adjacent to the existing wall that separates the side access path, backfill with type 1, compact and then lay either gravel (Not sure as I will be constantly sweeping stones off the pavement) or better yet install a resin bonded kit next to the tarmac. Ideally I would like to tarmac the whole lot, but I don't want the two different shades of tarmac, its not that aesthetically pleasing having a full tarmac driveway anyway and not that much cheaper than resin bonded.

What are your thoughts? I think the way I am going to approach it is the way to go, but there may be a better way that you can tell me from experience.

Thanks in advance,
Joe

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Yea **** the tree!

 

[joe90k]

Yea **** the tree!

Haha Its a bit bigger now, the images are from Google street view, apart from constantly dropping leaves, sap, seeds and flowers all over our car the only good thing it does is obscure the neighbours view into the third bedroom, I am more than happy to fit a blind though to make up for it!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Yea trees are just a pain all over really.

 

[Andyc84]

Extend your red line to the edge of the pavement, whatever you do, if you are driving over those cut sections of paving slabs, you will ruin them in no time and wished you'd done them at the start.

 

[cotswoldbuilders]

Do the area in blue block paviors, change the steps to semi circular, again using paviors, bull nose paviors are available for the steps.

 

[Norcon]

That's a nice tree and shrubbery plot. Helps obscure the ugly looking house.
You should be planting them, not ripping them out!

 

[s60tsy]

are you actually getting grief here for talking about getting rid of a tree or is it tongue in cheek?

 

[joe90k]

That's a nice tree and shrubbery plot. Helps obscure the ugly looking house.
You should be planting them, not ripping them out!

Each to their own mate, I know its not a pretty looking house, but considering I'm 24 and have worked hard to be in a position to buy it, I'm proud of it.

 

[TheVictorian]

Ignore everyone, it's a good house for a 24 year old and do whatever works best for you out the front.

I agree about replacing the slabs while you are at it.

 

[joe90k]

Ignore everyone, it's a good house for a 24 year old and do whatever works best for you out the front.

I agree about replacing the slabs while you are at it.

Thanks!

I will do...

 

[Andyc84]

Ignore everyone, it's a good house for a 24 year old and do whatever works best for you out the front.

I agree about replacing the slabs while you are at it.

Thanks Victorian! Was concerned for a second my "good" advice was going to be ignored

 

[noseall]

If you remove the tree you may be asked to replace it at your own cost.

 

[TheVictorian]

By who? Not much chance of a TPO on that!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

If you remove the tree you may be asked to replace it at your own cost.

Typically that would run for say 5 or 10 years from when the houses was first purchased by the first owner, you would find it in the deeds, though the solicitor should have brought it to your attention if it were still in the period specified. Difficult to say how old this house is for sure.

edit @ The Victorian, the LA often condition it for new build developments when the (planning) permission is granted. Its also a way of ensuring there's a bit of greenery in an otherwise masonry jungle and that its watered/tended by a homeowner rather than it being the LA's responsibility.