Having spent the last week out and about on consultations, I couldn't help notice the lack of effort most home owners have towards their front gardens, an area of which will be addressed by us in this region. Which brings me on to my sub-conscious findings regarding the front areas of properties.
My travels have left me feeling a little deflated by the amount of contractors still installing driveways that do not meet the new legislation, these rouges are in effect taking the food from our tables, now, I'm not the sort of chap to be running around with a phone glued to my ear exposing these contractors details to the authorities, however I'm starting to feel some what peeved with the whole situation.
The message of this new law just isn't hitting home, a lot more marketing needs to done regarding this grey area, so those who insist on giving the client the wrong advice and continue to flout the law be dealt with and exposed.
Are any other regions noticing the rouges out in force?
Still, on the bright side we'll here to pick up the pieces and continue forwards.
Kerry
From the government planning portal:
From Planning Portal In October 2008 Permitted Development Rights were introduced for householders wishing to pave over their front gardens. Planning permission is not needed if a new driveway uses permeable (or porous) surfacing, which allows water to drain through, such as gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt, or if the rainwater is directed to a lawn or border to drain naturally.
If the surface to be covered is more than 5m2, planning permission will be needed for laying traditional, impermeable driveways that do not control rainwater running off onto roads.
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Mind you with some of the rules and regulations coming out at an alarming rate and being so unambiguous I can understand why some people just don’t bother.
As professionals we have a duty to ensure that we bring this to the attention of our clients, may be highlighting the relevant law and regulations in the quote would help.
However Defra stated a little while back that many of the issues that SUDS address can not be effectively controlled with current legislation.
But could part of the blame not lay with the customer themselves.
Do some landscapers quote for work and not add a proper base or to comply with leglisation, just to lower the quote knowing full well that if they did the "builder" will come in with a quote a few grand cheaper and more often get the job.
I think if you look at it the only person not to point the finger at is the professional landscaper.
Saying that the customer wont be on the know due to local councils not inforcing it and they themselves get there info from the goverment.
Big squad of guys touring the south side of Glasgow going door to door offering new monoblock driveways. They have just finished one in my pal's street and she knows the customer who says they chapped her door on Wednesday and started the work on Thursday! I doubt they sought the relevant permissions there especially since all of the drive slopes toward the pavement and road. My pal actually said she thought I should do similar jobs like this since the customer seemed very impressed with them - no way man! They are offering monthly payments and a 3 month guarantee to lure customers in. It's got to be dodgy.
I just drove past this afternoon - the job looks tidy enough but the skip guy was there ranting on the phone - they had packed a 20 yard skip full of clay and rubble - his lorry couldn't lift it! My pal also said they went door to door once they had finished offering small tidy ups and improvements to get some extra work and used the same big skip for all of these. That isn't the worst idea i suppose but they were chucking wood and trees into the skip and the skip driver had to chuck it all back out! Mental!
Cheers
Nicky Patterson
The new legislation is at best half baked with little if any consultation with people directly involved at the coal face. What needs to be dealt with and exposed is the total lack of assessing the impact this is and will be having on the industry as a whole, not least being “the rouges” will be getting a lot more work as they offer far cheaper installations than the contractor following the letter of the law.
As I have recently become aware the rules on SUDS are to be tightened and extended to cover rear gardens as of this coming year
http://www.paving.org.uk/domestic/meeting_the_latest_rules.php
Im still looking into this and as to when the new rules will come into forse
Clive
in 2008 every landscaper and paving contractor were given 3 weeks notice of the changes even though it had been discussed on forums months earlier
they launched the information relating to the new driveway legislation on the second week in September 2008 and it came into force on the 1st September 2008 and I would put money on it being the same for rear gardens
what they need to do is enforce the front garden legislation before expanding it to rear gardens as most paving companies in my area just ignore it anyway and there are no local authority staff available to police it
I am yet to hear of a householder in my area having an enforcement notice served on them for non compliance of the driveway legislation
has anyone here heard of an enforcement notice being served in their area ?
It's been a while since Kerry added this post...how is the situation now?
* Are the public more aware of SUDS now that they were in 2009?
* Are contractors more aware of SUDS now that they were in 2009?
* Has the government done enough to enforce the legislation?
* Are manufacturers doing enough to help publicise and educate on contractors' responsibilities?
Related post: How important is permeable paving?
In my area or norfolk, there is virtually no compliance with this waste of time regulation,no one has ever asked me to quote for it,in my town the drainage is a combined system with roof and foul water going in same pipe due to ground water leval and soakaways never working,so the point of it is?,drive 5 miles toward coast the ground is so free draining flooded areas are unheard off,there is a few building control areas in england policing it but can be counted on 1 hand
msh paving
Mick Gammage said:
Must admit i was not made aware of suds. Does this cover Wales by the way or do we have a seperate criteria ? i know we do for most other structures.
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