Check the scope of the paving rules
Planning Portal explains that traditional impermeable front-garden paving over five square metres needs planning permission where water does not run to a permeable area. Its front-garden paving guidance also sets out limits and exceptions to permitted development.
Check property type, listed status, planning conditions and any Article 4 direction before assuming that a permeable surface settles the planning question. Ask the authority about the actual proposal.
Design where the water will go
Tell the contractor about ponding, flooding and the current falls. Ask for the proposed surface build-up, drainage route and maintenance arrangements. A permeable top surface needs a suitable underlying design to work as intended.
Coordinate the paving with gate tracks, motor boxes, supports and cable routes. Avoid setting final paving levels before those details have been agreed.
Treat the vehicle crossing separately
Changing the garden surface does not authorise driving across the public footway. Check the dropped-kerb requirements and any approval for a new or altered crossing.
Ask the quotation to distinguish paving, drainage, gate groundworks and highway work. Record who obtains each permission and who reinstates disturbed surfaces.
Keep the system maintainable
Request cleaning and care instructions for the selected paving and drainage. Identify covers and access points that must remain reachable after the gate is installed.
Consult the government’s permeable-surfacing guidance and use the installed gate cost guide to compare the complete entrance scope.