Gardening Links

Water Run Off

We are now advised not to pave our front gardens, to avoid water running off into drains, but what to do when parking on your front garden may be the only option to keep your car off the street?

Much is written about various solutions, and responsible householders will want to lessen the impact of a paved parking area: here are some of the facts.Achieving a well balanced driveway design within the guidelines of the new legislation, need not be complicated.

You only need to decide how you would like to manage the rainwater that lands on your driveway.

There are 3 options to choose from.

Option 1 – Direct rainwater to a flower border, or another area of the garden which has been designed to allow water to drain away – No planning permission is required. This option may involve using linear drainage or a driveway channel. It may also involve using a soak away underneath part of your lawn. The size of the soak away system required will vary depending on a number of factors. As a Marshalls Approved Contractor, Martin Gordon Landscapes, have access to a special Soakaway Size Calculator.

This system helps us to calculate the correct size of soak away for your driveway.

Option 2 –Install a driveway using permeable materials. Martin Gordon Landscapes can assist you on the correct choice of materials for your driveway.

Option 3 – Do not make any provision for the rain water that falls onto your driveway. Planning Permission is required for this option. Householders should seek advice from their Local Authority.

Martin Gordon Landscapes will be happy to advise you on your project. We have a great deal of experience with all sorts of paving, driveway and drainage problems and work closely with our customers and suppliers to achieve the best result for you.

For detailed guidance on changes to legislation visit: www.marshalls.co.uk

Discussion with the Planning Department of your Local Authority is always advised.

Here are some links that may assist you.

https://eastdevon.gov.uk

Porous Paving

Blocks made with a porous concrete that allows the water to pass through rather than around. These products help, but are not perfect because, within a few years, they will become blocked with calcium salts and debris.

Permeable Paving

This allows the water to percolate through specially developed joints between paving slabs. A permeable pavement will require frequent maintenance to remove debris.

A Solid Base

Any foundation will also need to be permeable because saturated ground beneath paving will break up with heavy traffic.

Once the ground is saturated, rainwater will run off the surface, regardless of whether it is paved or not. Porous or permeable paving will probably only ever be entirely successful, with normal or moderate rainfall.

Martin Gordon Landscapes will be happy to advise on your paving project. We have a great deal of experience with all sorts of paving problems and work closely with our suppliers.

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