Planning permission change for block paving

[kevin123]

Hi all,

This may be an extremely stupid question but I’m going to ask it

We have planning permission to block pave our driveway. We’ve started the work and the contractor asked us how we wanted the design of the steps leading up to the front door. We’ve gone with one rectangular shaped step.

However we’ve just noticed on the planning design that our architect has drawn two semi-circle steps leading up to the door. There’s no actual notes on the design that explicitly says they are steps but you would assume they are.

There are also no notes on the planning approval letter explicitly stating we are to have two semi-circle steps leading up to the door.

So the question is, in anyone’s experience does us changing to a single rectangular step leading up to the door instead of the two semi-circle steps as indicated on the drawings cause us an issue with the planning dept?

Changing the shape and amount of steps (still taking up the same amount of space) surely wouldn’t mean we’ve deviated from the planning permission and mean we’d have to submit a non-material amendment?

We’ll try and get hold of the local planning dept next week but thought I’d ask others opinions first.

 

[^woody^]

Planning permission is only for dealing with drainage of the drive to make sure any rainwater does not enter any public drains, it is not concerned with any steps.

BTW you did not need to apply for PP for paving your drive as its permitted development, all you needed to do was ensure that water does not enter the public drains.

 

[kevin123]

Thanks for the reply Woody. So because changing the design of the steps as indicated on the drawings doesn't affect the way the rainwater drains we should be ok? Do the drawings just indicate where steps would be and not necessary how they would look?

We were submitting planning permission as we were converting the garage to living space and slightly extending and because we were converting lawn in to driveway we were told it was best to include the driveway on the application.

 

[rules&rulers]

the council planning dept is only interested in where and how the rain water drains to,not worth the bother of contacting them for visual changes.


good luck.

 

[kevin123]

thank you both for your response.