New Driveway Cost in Manchester: 2026 Price Guide

Front gardens on Manchester's terraced streets are often barely large enough for a car, which makes the planning rules around driveways more relevant here than in areas with more generous plots - a lot of homeowners are surprised to learn a small front garden conversion can still need permission.

The rule most people miss

If the new driveway is over 5m² and uses a standard non-permeable surface (regular block paving or tarmac with no drainage provision), it needs planning permission from Manchester City Council - unless water drains to a permeable area rather than the road. This is exactly why gravel and permeable block paving are the default recommendation on Manchester's smaller terrace fronts: they sidestep the requirement entirely in most cases.

Separately, a drop kerb to cross the pavement legally needs its own licensed-contractor application to the council - a different process from planning permission, and one that's easy to forget since it isn't mentioned in most general driveway guides.