Driveways in Kingston and Surbiton
Flourish Landscaping designs and builds driveways across Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton and the surrounding Surrey and South West London suburbs. We are a family business, working locally since 1980 and led by Craig Davis BSc (Hons) Horticulture. We build a driveway the same way we build a garden: dug to the right depth, drained properly and set into the planting around it, rather than paved from wall to wall.
Driveway surfaces we lay
The right surface depends on the house, the space, how many cars use it and where the rainwater will go. We talk you through the options on site and show you samples before anything is ordered.
- Block paving. Hard-wearing and easy to repair one block at a time. Permeable block paving lets rainwater drain through the joints into the base below.
- Resin-bound gravel. A smooth, porous finish that suits period and contemporary houses alike, laid over a permeable base.
- Gravel. The simplest permeable surface. Laid over a stabilising grid, it stays level and does not rut.
- Granite setts. Traditional and very long-lasting, used for whole driveways or for borders, aprons and banding.
- Natural stone and porcelain. Where a driveway runs into a terrace or path, we can carry the same material through, specified and bedded for vehicle loads.
How we build a driveway on London Clay
Most of Kingston and Surbiton sits on London Clay. It holds water in winter, shrinks in a dry summer and moves under a driveway that has not been built for it. Nearly every failed driveway we are asked to look at comes down to a thin base or nowhere for the water to go.
- Excavation to a depth that suits the surface and the weight of the vehicles using it.
- A geotextile membrane over the clay, so the sub-base is not pushed down into the ground.
- Sub-base laid and compacted in layers: MOT Type 1 under conventional paving, or open-graded 4/20 stone under permeable systems.
- Edge restraints and kerbs bedded in concrete, so the surface cannot spread.
- Falls set to carry water away from the house, into channel drains, soakaways or planted borders.
- Inspection chambers and services raised or protected before the surface goes down.
Planning permission, drainage and dropped kerbs
Since October 2008, a new or replacement driveway in a front garden does not need planning permission if it uses a permeable surface, such as gravel, permeable block paving or porous asphalt, or if the rainwater runs to a lawn or border within the property. An impermeable surface of more than 5 square metres that drains onto the road does need planning permission. The government’s guidance on the permeable surfacing of front gardens sets out the detail.
A new or widened dropped kerb is a separate matter. It needs approval from the council as highway authority, and the kerb itself is usually built by the council or its approved contractor. Houses in a conservation area can have extra controls too. We tell you at the site visit what your plans need, and design the driveway to suit.
Room for planting
A driveway does not have to mean losing the front garden. The RHS has long campaigned to keep front gardens green, and its advice on greening a grey front garden is worth reading before you decide. A narrow bed along the boundary, a planted strip between the wheel tracks or a single multi-stem tree softens the hard surface, helps it drain and gives bees something to visit.
Plants we use often at the front of the house include Erigeron karvinskianus and Thymus serpyllum between setts and along edges, Pittosporum tobira and Osmanthus × burkwoodii for evergreen structure, and Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ beside a sunny drive. Existing trees are protected while we dig, and we check for tree preservation orders before work starts.
Recent driveway work
A resin-bound driveway in Strawberry Hill, edged in silver granite setts with a channel drain across the entrance. The setts were laid first on a curve, then the resin was laid within them.
In Esher, a porcelain terrace and driveway laid in the same material, so the front of the house reads as one space.
Why choose Flourish for your driveway
- A family business working locally since 1980, led by Craig Davis BSc (Hons) Horticulture, with over 40 years in horticulture.
- Accredited by APL and TrustMark, Surrey Trading Standards Approved, and members of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, the Gardeners Guild and the HTA.
- Written, itemised quotations with no hidden extras.
- Fully insured.
Areas we cover
We build driveways throughout Kingston, Surbiton, New Malden, Worcester Park, Thames Ditton, Esher, Richmond, Teddington, Twickenham and Walton-on-Thames, as well as Tolworth, Berrylands and Long Ditton. For terraces and garden paths, see our patios and paths page.
Common questions about driveways
How long does a new driveway take?
Most domestic driveways take one to two weeks on site, depending on the size, the surface and how much has to come out first. We confirm the timing with the quotation.
Can I park on the driveway while the work is going on?
Not for most of the build, as the area is dug out down to the sub-base. We agree parking arrangements with you before we start, and tell you when the new surface is ready for cars.
Which surface is best for a Kingston or Surbiton house?
It depends on the house, the space and the drainage. Permeable block paving and resin-bound gravel are the most popular choices locally, as they avoid the need for planning permission and cope well with heavy rain on clay.
Do you take away the old driveway?
Yes. We break out and remove the old surface and base, and dispose of it through licensed waste routes.
Discuss your driveway
If you are thinking about a new driveway, we would be pleased to visit, measure up and talk through the options. Initial consultations are without obligation. Call 07738 178091 or send us a message.
