Last updated October 2026
Kent County Council charges £500 to apply for a dropped kerb, plus £76 for any additional inspection, which puts it among the higher council fees we have found. It then lets any accredited street works contractor build it, so Alex arranges the Kent kerb through one. The drive itself, at typical UK prices, runs to £4,000 to £7,500 for two cars on about 50 m². Medway, run from Chatham, has its own separate process.
Kent’s fee is a fixed cost on top of the drive, so the table puts it beside the main price bands.
| Item | Typical price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Resin bound on a sound existing base | £60 to £100 per m² | four UK price guides agree |
| Bigger drive for three or more cars (75 to 100 m²) | £5,500 to £11,500 | MacColl & Stokes, Checkatrade |
| Drainage channel or soakaway, where needed | £300 to £1,000 | MacColl & Stokes, MyBuilder |
| Kent County Council kerb application | £500, plus £76 per additional inspection | Kent County Council |
| Medway Council site visit and decision | £450 | Medway Council |
What does Kent County Council need before it approves a kerb?
A copy of your planning permission, or written confirmation from your borough council that you do not need it. That letter comes from Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone or whichever borough you live in, not from the county. Kent aims to decide within 28 days once it has everything, and each additional inspection adds a non-refundable £76 to the £500 fee.
Who can build the kerb in Kent?
Any contractor holding New Roads and Street Works Act accreditation and £5 million of public liability insurance. Kent does not insist on its own crews, so the drive and the crossing can be one job with one start date. After approval you have 2 years to build it, which gives room to wait for dry weather.
Is Medway different?
Completely. Medway Council is a separate unitary authority, and it charges £450 to visit, inspect and decide, with no refund if the answer is no. The kerb is built by Medway’s term contractor or by a contractor on its approved list. A Medway kerb can be no wider than 5.6 m and must sit 10 m from a junction and 1 m from a lamp post. The Medway page carries a 2018 date, so we check the fee again with the council before quoting.
Will a Sevenoaks or Tunbridge Wells drive need planning?
Usually not for a house, if the surface is resin bound. Under GOV.UK’s guidance, a permeable new or replacement drive needs no planning whatever its size. The exceptions are flats, listed buildings and homes where an Article 4 direction removes the right, so the letter Kent asks for still has to come from your borough. Our planning guide lists the cases.
How long does a Kent drive take from enquiry to finished surface?
The resin is quick; the paperwork is not. Kent’s 28-day decision target and Medway’s 14 days after a site visit come first. A 50 m² drive on a sound base then takes about 2 to 3 days on site, and 3 to 5 days if the old base has to be rebuilt, according to MacColl & Stokes. Applying for the kerb as soon as you decide is the simplest way to save weeks.
Sources
- Kent County Council, apply for a dropped kerb, read Oct 2026
- Medway Council, apply to install or extend a dropped kerb, page dated 2018, read Oct 2026
- GOV.UK, permeable surfacing of front gardens, updated Feb 2026
- MacColl & Stokes, resin driveway cost UK 2026, Oct 2026
- Checkatrade, resin bound driveway cost, June 2026
- MyBuilder, resin bound driveway cost, Aug 2026
How it works
- 01Send photos of the driveRough size, what is there now and your postcode.
- 02We visitThe ground under the drive, the levels and where the water goes are checked.
- 03Written priceThe base, edging and drainage as their own lines.
Can resin go over an old Kent tarmac drive?
Often, if the tarmac is sound, clean and drains properly, and that keeps you in the £60 to £100 per m² band. Cracked or sunken drives need digging out and a new sub-base, which is where costs climb to about £120 per m² or more. The rules are on resin over concrete .
What should a good Kent quote show?
Every line that a cheap one leaves out: the sub-base and edging, the drainage route, a UV-stable resin and its maker’s system, and who gives the written guarantee. With Kent’s £500 kerb fee already in the budget, a quote that skips the base is a false saving. See resin driveway cost for the breakdown and dropped kerb cost for the crossing.
Who manages a Kent job?
The Resin Drive Company is a WeDo Property Services service. We arrange a vetted local resin driveway installer to carry out Kent work, confirm who within 2 working days, or tell you plainly if we can’t. Alex Winser keeps the job moving as your one point of contact, and you see the installer’s name on the written quote before you agree to anything.