Soakaway - Permission required?

[pcsparky]

Our current concrete driveway is in need of replacing and when we bought the house I knew that I would need to add a drainage channel as it slopes towards the house. Currently the surface water has nowhere proper to go but has found a way into the ground by causing a crack in the concrete.

I am aware that I don't need permission to have my drive replaced with some other hard surface as I won't be adding to the current surface water area. But I would like to add a soakaway to help remove the surface water.

I kow that this 'should' be 5m away from the building but none of our current rainwater soakaways are. Because of the sloping drive and other factors it would be highly unfeasible to locate one 5m away, ideally 1.5m to 2m away would be what I would like to do.

So 'should' I get permission?

 

[^woody^]

You don't need any permission/approval to make a soakaway

Even if you have a current drive, if you replace it, you will need planning permission unless you make it permeable or include drainage to take rainwater into the ground and not into drains or the public highway

5m from the house is just a general guide not an absolute. It depends on the ground and expected volume of water, but nearer can be OK

 

[pcsparky]

Even if you have a current drive, if you replace it, you will need planning permission unless you make it permeable or include drainage to take rainwater into the ground and not into drains or the public highway

Thanks Woody

I see I was mistaken about the legislation regarding simple replacement having looked at it. Fortunately, none of our surface water will ever get into the local sewers as we are below the ground level of them and our waste water has to be pumped up to those sewers.
No surface water goes into our drains, so even in the absence of a decent soakaway it can only find its way into the ground somehow as it does now.