Eligibility for a dropped kerb
When applying for a dropped kerb, you need to make sure that your eligible;
- your location must meet the dropped kerb criteria
- if you're on a classified road (A, B or Class III road) you'll need planning permission before you apply - you should also check with planning.enquiries@york.gov.uk for any local conditions you may need to comply with
- you need to agree to our terms and conditions, and construction specifications
Even if you have planning permission, you still need permission from the Highway Authority, (City of York Council) as we are responsible for the maintenance of the highway, however if you are building on a private road, you need to seek permission from the landowner of the road.
The proposed crossing;
- does not conflict with any physical features or street furniture (such as a bus shelter or pole, the high raised (Kassel) kerbs where a passenger would enter a bus, benches)
- has a minimum of 1 meter clearance for mature trees and 2m for newly planted trees
- has 6m perpendicular depth clearance to the highway (this can be reduced to 5.5m when located away from openings) or a minimum depth of 3m and a minimum width of 6m where parallel parking is proposed
- has a minimum 10m distance from a junction
This diagram is not to scale
Existing vehicle crossing can be extended, provided they are not already at the maximum lengths and meet the other requirements.
The easiest way to calculate the width of your current crossing is to count the kerbs blocks already used, from the property boundary. A standard single crossing width is 3 flat (centre) kerbs and 2 dropped kerbs, the maximum width allowed would be 5 flat (centre) kerbs and 2 dropped kerbs. When merged with a neighbours crossing the combined permissible width must not exceed 8 flat (centre) kerbs and 2 dropped kerbs. There are other factors to take into consideration for example, proximity to junctions, type of road, parking, laybys, bus stops, schools and surrounding street furniture. You must apply, even if there is no physical kerb in your location, as the application is permission to cross a highway verge.
Our minimum parking space dimensions, 6m depth by 2.5m width (with the short side adjacent to the road), are to accommodate for all types of vehicles up to the size of a large van. Although your current vehicle may fit into a smaller space, this may not be large enough for any future vehicles you may obtain or for any future owner’s vehicles.
If you have a mobility scooter or a motorbike, you are able to apply for small dropped kerb for these vehicles. You can get up to 1.8m of dropped kerbs distance for this type of access.
There may be other options available if you have significant difficulties with your mobility and daily routines and feel you may benefit from a Social Care assessment. If your query is related to a disabled adult please contact our Adult Social Care Team on 01904 551550.
Some trees may have a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) on them, others may be highway trees. These form an important part of the street scene and will not be removed in order to accommodate a vehicle crossing unless there is an arboricultural reason for doing so.
If there is a light column in the way of your proposed crossing, this may be moved, but this is decided upon after a site inspection and consultation with our Street Lighting Team. The applicant must ensure they factor in the additional costs for relocating the light column.
If gates are to be fitted across the entrance to the property, they must not open outwards across the footpath or carriageway (Section 153 Highways Act 1980). On A, B and C class roads, the gates should be set back a minimum of 6m from the highway to enable a vehicle to wait whilst they open.
Using a contractor
We have reviewed our current process and commencing 1 April 2022, you can choose any contractor to undertake the work as long as they are suitably qualified and meet the requirements. You'll need to obtain this information from your contractor and forward it to us for checking before we can allow them to work on the highway. We reserve the right to refuse contractors from working on the highway if we feel they are not competent. A contractor can be found using a number of sources including an internet search, your own knowledge or word of mouth.
The contractor must meet the following requirements:
- valid Public Liability Insurance, a minimum of £5m
- all site workers to be New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 accredited to Operative level with at least one worker accredited to Supervisor level either based permanently on site or available to visit site at any time
- all contractors’ staff working on site must adhere to the prescribed PPE & Health and Safety requirements
- possession of vehicle crossing installation standard details from the highway authority
- full service/utility drawings for the location
- conform to all chapter 8 guidelines for working on the highway
For further enquiries on this please contact: streetworks@york.gov.uk.
You have 12 months from the date stated on your approval letter to have the works completed. Your contractor must return a Contactor Permit Application (v-form) to us (a blank copy is provided in your documentation) stating the proposed start date of works at the agreed location. We'll only be able to agree to the relevant permit to work on the highway once we have received this. If the work is not carried out within this 3-month period, the ‘Status Request’ information will be out of date; a new request for these will need to be submitted. Again, this will take several weeks to complete and works on the highway will not be permitted until we have received the updated information. If the works are not completed within 12 months of the date on your approval letter you must re-submit a new application into Streetworks.
After the work is completed, one of our inspectors will visit the site to ensure that the vehicle crossing meets the specification and conditional requirements. If the inspector finds that the vehicle crossing does not comply with the specification or conditions set out in our approval, we'll contact both you and your contractor, It is your responsibility to rectify any defects which are highlighted, and further checks will be carried out to ensure this has been completed.