There are several reasons why you would have decided that a new driveway would be beneficial for you, from both a practical point of view as well as adding value to your property. However, you do need to factor in a few points that might affect whether you can install a driveway, or that might affect the design and type of driveway you can install.
BOUNDARY DISPUTES AND PLANNING RESTRICTIONS
Usually, disputes that occur between the owners of adjacent properties tend to occur in the residential sector rather than with agricultural or commercial land. If you are planning to install a new driveway that runs along the boundary of your property and there is a recorded history of dispute as to the ownership or definition of where the boundary lies, then you need to ensure that you take legal advice before going ahead and commissioning a new driveway.
You also need to consider local planning and council regulations prior to settling on the type and design of the driveway. This includes any changes or alterations to access to your property that crosses council land, which means the strip of land from the road onto your property that is known as the “crossover” and the flattened kerb or “invert” that allows the vehicle to smoothly drive up onto the driveway. Professional driveway installation companies will be familiar with local council regulations and requirements but you might want to check with your council planning department as well.
DESIGN OF PARKING AND MANOEUVRING SPACES
This links in with any specific planning restrictions and permissions, but depending on the type of property you live in, there could be a requirement that any new driveway, or alteration to the old one, conform to the surrounding environment in terms of visual impact. You might need to check this against the type of materials you want and the design you are looking at, and some council regulations for new builds will specify the size of parking and manoeuvring spaces. Manoeuvring areas do have to be designed with safety factors in mind, so you will need to review this when looking at your design.
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE SITE
As well as ensuring that you minimise any impact that your new driveway will have on the public “streetscape”, there are the practicalities to consider. If your site is on an incline or has limited access, then you need to review the additional workload placed on any driveway installation. Getting materials on site, and removing and installing a new substrate along with the driveway surface will need to be considered and discussed with your installation team to allow for the time factor and the cost.
Allowing for good surface drainage might be another consideration on a sloping site. If you had poor drainage before, then you might need to allow for some grading to be carried out to improve the drainage of the new driveway. Some councils have guidance on storm water management, and encourage infiltration systems that you might have to consider as well. You also need to be aware of any utilities underneath the site of the new driveway, because these might have to be moved or their access points factored into your design.
All these factors will be familiar to an experienced driveway installation team who will be happy to spend time reviewing your site and requirements, so make sure you choose a reputable driveway expert when looking to install a new driveway.