New Driveway Cost in Poplar: 2026 Price Guide

Parking is at a premium on many streets in Poplar, which makes converting a front garden into a driveway one of the more popular smaller projects here - though it comes with a permission catch that surprises a lot of homeowners.

Typical costs

• Gravel driveway: roughly £1,500-£3,000
• Block paving: roughly £3,500-£6,500
• Resin-bound or tarmac: roughly £4,000-£8,000

Prices depend heavily on the size of the space and whether an existing wall, hedge or step needs to be removed to create the drop kerb and access.

The permission most people miss

If your new driveway is larger than 5 square metres and uses a standard impermeable surface (regular block paving or tarmac laid without drainage), you need planning permission from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets - unless the water drains to a permeable or porous area rather than the road. Permeable paving or gravel avoids this requirement in most cases, which is why it's the default recommendation for smaller front gardens in Poplar.

Separately, you'll need a licensed contractor to apply for a "drop kerb" from the council to lower the kerb and cross the pavement legally - this is a different process from planning permission and has its own fee, and it's not optional even for a driveway that doesn't need planning permission itself.

What affects the price locally

Front gardens on the Victorian terraces near Poplar are often smaller and have existing brick walls or hedges that need careful removal, particularly where the property is in the St Matthias Church, Poplar and Lansbury conservation areas and the wall itself has some protection. A driveway specialist who's worked on similar streets locally will know the drop-kerb process for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and can usually handle the application on your behalf.