Driveway drainage. Potential issue

[Callismichael]

Hi all

I have had a new driveway installed in tarmac and block border. All looks great except I have had a channel drain as the guy said because I used to have a garden then this is needed. I have since had a look at the drain and it doesn't connect to anything.

I called the guy and he said you cannot mix rainwater with foul drainage, which I believe to be true so he said he forgot to drill holes in the drain to allow rainwater to soak into the sub ground. Does this sound right or just tosh?

 

[Newboy]

Drilling holes in it is 'tosh' - connecting it to surface water drains or a dedicated soakaway would have been good.

If the driveway drains naturally onto your own property then the perimeter drain isn't needed.

Planning permission may be an issue - from the planning portal:


"You don’t need planning permission to build or replace a driveway of any size if:

• you use permeable (or porous) surfacing, eg gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt
• the rainwater flows to a lawn or border to drain naturally.

If you cover more than five square metres using traditional materials that don’t let water through, you need planning permission.

These rules apply to the area of land between the front walls of the house and the highway.

Learn more on the Planning Portal."

 

[HERTS P&D]

Was this a cash job?

Andy

 

[Callismichael]

Bank transfer and all I can think is border paving will take care of rainwater. Would rather have the drainage ripped out so that there's no potential of it filling up abd rely on the border to soak away the rainwater.

Drive slightly slopes towards the road aswell.

 

[Newboy]

Drive slightly slopes towards the road

Leave the perimeter drain in place - if there are end plates fitted then remove them and hope that your adjacent borders can take any water.

 

[Callismichael]

End plates aren't there and tonne fair there's now way I could have done a better drive. He is coming tomorrow to drill holes due to moaning. Whether necessary I don't know.

 

[r896neo]

This is very common. The suds rules are vague and never enforced so people install a linear drain for appearance only. As long as there is one there noone will ever question it or check it actually works whereas not having one would raise alarm bells to a passing busybody.

 

[Callismichael]

I thought as much. Neighbour across the road doesn't have one installed. It comes with a 5 year guarantee I suppose and so long as it doesn't cause problems, I read on one forum it could lift the tarmac if water is getting under but surely if that were to happen then it could with the water soaking into the block perimeter.

 

[Callismichael]

guy is coming out on saturday with tarmac contractors are very small patches of rain water in certain spots not draining away. It doesnt look as though there are dips in tarmac and there is sloping, whether enough I dont know. 5 year guarantee luckily. I think im put off on doing another house up. Especially when you pay people and expect peace of mind.