A new driveway in Greenwich isn’t quite the same job as one in most of London. Between conservation area rules around Maritime Greenwich and Blackheath, narrow Georgian and Victorian frontages, and the legal requirement to use permeable materials on most front gardens, there’s more to get right than picking a paving colour. JPD Landscaping & Building Services installs driveways as part of our hardscaping installation work across Greenwich and the wider SE10 area, and this page covers what actually goes into the job and what to check before you start.
What makes a Greenwich driveway different
Permeable paving is a legal requirement on most jobs. If you’re paving over more than 5m² of front garden with a hard, non-porous surface, national planning rules require either a permeable material (permeable block paving, resin bound gravel, or similar) or a drainage design that channels rainwater onto a permeable area like a lawn or border, otherwise you need planning permission first. This applies everywhere in England, but it matters more in Greenwich given how much of the borough sits close to the Thames and within areas the Environment Agency flags for surface water risk. We design every driveway to meet this from the outset, so it’s one less thing to worry about.
Conservation areas add an extra layer. Parts of Greenwich, including around Maritime Greenwich (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Blackheath, fall within conservation areas, where the council can have tighter controls on things like dropped kerbs, boundary walls, and visible materials from the street. It’s always worth a quick check with Royal Borough of Greenwich’s planning team before work starts if your property is in one of these zones. We’re happy to help you figure out if yours is affected.
Frontages are often narrow and period specific. A lot of Greenwich’s housing stock is Georgian or Victorian, with shallow front gardens and existing brick or stone boundary walls worth preserving rather than ripping out. We work around these where possible instead of defaulting to a full clear and rebuild.
Our driveway installation process
- Site visit and check. We assess access, existing drainage, boundary walls, and if your property is in a conservation area or has any Article 4 restrictions worth knowing about.
- Design and permeability planning. We choose a material and layout that meets the permeable paving rule without you needing to apply for planning permission, unless your specific situation requires it.
- Dropped kerb, if needed. If your driveway needs vehicle access from the road and there’s no existing dropped kerb, this has to be arranged through Royal Borough of Greenwich separately. We can point you in the right direction for this.
- Excavation and sub-base. Proper depth and compaction here is what stops a driveway from rutting or sinking under vehicle weight, a heavier load than a patio ever takes.
- Laying and finishing. Block paving, resin, or your chosen material is laid, edged, and finished, with drainage channels or permeable jointing built in as required.
- Clean-up. Full site clearance, old surfacing, rubble, and waste removed.
Timelines vary more with driveways than patios because of dropped kerb permissions and any conservation area sign-off, so factor that into your planning if you’re working to a deadline. You can see examples of finished hardscaping work on our projects page.
Material options
Driveways fall under what’s generally called hard landscaping, covered in more depth in our guide to what hard landscaping actually means. For a Greenwich driveway specifically, the main options are:
- Permeable block paving, the most common choice for Greenwich driveways since it satisfies the drainage rule outright, comes in a wide range of colours and patterns, and is easy to repair section by section if it’s ever disturbed (useful if utility access is ever needed).
- Resin bound surfacing, a smooth, modern finish that’s inherently porous, low maintenance, and doesn’t shift or rut the way loose gravel can.
- Permeable gravel with a grid base, a lower cost option that still meets drainage rules, good for period properties where a looser, more traditional look suits the frontage.
- Porcelain or natural stone paving, a higher end look, but needs a permeable jointing system or drainage design to meet the legal requirement, which we factor into the quote.
If you’re doing a driveway now and thinking about a patio at the back of the same property, our guide to how much a patio costs in the UK is worth a read for planning the whole project together.
What affects the cost of a driveway in Greenwich
Cost depends on size, chosen material, if you need a new dropped kerb, and how much existing surface needs removing first. Permeable block paving and gravel tend to sit at the more affordable end. Resin bound and premium stone cost more but need less upkeep long term.
Because dropped kerbs and conservation area checks can add time that isn’t obvious from measurements alone, a site visit is the only reliable way to quote a Greenwich driveway properly. Get in touch and we’ll arrange one.
Areas we cover around Greenwich
Alongside Greenwich itself, we regularly work in Blackheath, Charlton, Kidbrooke, Westcombe Park, and the wider SE10 area. If you’re just outside these, get in touch anyway, we cover South East London broadly.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for a driveway in Greenwich?
Not usually, provided you use a permeable material or drain rainwater onto a permeable area of the garden. If you’re in a conservation area, or you’re not using a permeable option, you may need permission. We’ll help you check before work starts.
What is permeable paving, and why does it matter here?
It’s paving that lets rainwater soak through into the ground instead of running off into the road drains. It’s a legal requirement for most front garden driveways over 5m² in England, and it’s particularly relevant in Greenwich given the borough’s proximity to the Thames and known surface water flood risk areas.
Can you arrange a dropped kerb?
We can advise and help manage the process, but the dropped kerb application itself goes through Royal Borough of Greenwich, since it involves the public highway.
How long does a driveway installation take?
A straightforward permeable block paving driveway typically takes 3 to 5 days. Add time if a dropped kerb application or conservation area sign-off is needed first.
Do you also do patios, fencing, or garden walls?
Yes, alongside driveways we handle patios, fencing, and retaining or garden walls. If you’re planning front and back garden work together, mention it when you enquire so we can quote the full job.
Get a quote
JPD Landscaping & Building Services is a family run team with 15+ years’ experience across South East London, based in nearby Peckham. Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote for your Greenwich driveway.
Need a patio too? See our patio installation guide for Peckham for how we approach patios on similar London garden conditions.
