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Design Guide

Supplementary Design Guidance for Householders on the re-surfacing of paths and driveways

Inappropriate Surface

Gravel

Tarmac

natural materials in association with abundantplanting. Generally the 'harder' the material, themore visually damaging large areas of surfacingbecome.

Appropriate MaterialsConcrete Slabs - Originally many of thedriveways consisted of two rows of concrete slabsset between grass verges. These slabs occasionally

survive but the verges have generally been infilledwith concrete, ruining the naturalistic effectoriginally intended. The drives of this type appearto be later additions and a more widespreadreinstatement of this type would be beneficial tothe Conservation area.

Grey Asphalt - is a traditional surface materialthat is widely found in the conservation area. Theaddition of an aggregate rolled into the surfaceduring application will add texture, aid weathering

and provide a more visually interesting surface.

Shingle/Driveway of appropriate natural colour

can be laid loose on the flat to form a simple,traditional surface that retains the character of thearea. Care has to be taken to ensure that materialdoes not spill out onto the pavement, especially ongently sloping sites. To counter this a bound

As part of the Article 4 Direction in place inthe Pinnerwood Estate Conservation Area, itis necessary to obtain planning permissionfor the resurfacing, alteration, enlargement orcreation of areas of hard surfacing to frontand some side gardens.

These gardens, which for the most part are well

tended and green, are an important characteristic ofthe 'garden city' style of the estate. However, theCouncil recognises that homeowners on the Estatemay wish to introduce hard surfaces or alter theextent or type of hard surfacing to their frontgardens. This guide therefore sets out what can beconsidered best practice for hard surfacing ondriveways.

Main AimsThe key principle is that the hard surfaced area

should be kept to a minimum, so that the soft,natural and green appearance of the conservationarea is not depleted. Whilst small extensions to theoriginal hardsurfaced area may be acceptable, it isimportant that front gardens remain as gardens, notcarparks and it is unrealistic to expect cars to beaccommodated side by side on the drive withoutcompromising the appearance of the property to anunacceptable extent.

Materials should be in keeping with the 'garden city'

style, which by its nature relies on traditional,

An example of inappropriate hard frontage

Grey asphalt

Conservation AreaPinnerwood Park Estate

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surface treatment can be used in which aggregates arerolled into a base of asphalt and glass-fibre,

polyurethane or epoxy resin to produce a surface thatis both hard-wearing and attractive.

Bricks/Paviours of appropriate materials andcolours to match originals can be used forrepair/resurfacing of footpaths. However, thesematerials are not appropriate when used in largeexpanses, such as driveways, where the massing ofstrong colours and regular shapes is visuallyoverwhelming, dominating the house and garden.

Setts Following various planning appeal decisions,there is also the possibility of using Setts. These aresmall square or rectangular paving units which aresmaller than paviours. Natural materials, such asgranite, are preferable as they weather well and canprovide a simple, yet traditional, backdrop to the

houses. However, modern concrete setts can bemanufactured with a less regular outline, giving anolder, more natural feel. It is also important thatthey should be laid in random courses, to retainthe informality in the streetscene.

As to colour it is felt that grey, light or natural lowkey colours are most successful. Since the hues ofthe houses in Pinnerwood Park tend to be dark

reddy-browns, pink, red and some brown-basedpaving materials look out of place and can clashand compete for attention with the main building.

An example of an appropriate type of setts isfeatured in the bottom left image.

Inappropriate Materials/DesignIn order to preserve the character of the

Conservation Area some materials will not beconsidered appropriate, these include:

! large expanses of paving! reddy-brown, red, pink or other brightly

coloured bricks, paviours and setts! a significant extension of the hard surface area! the removal of beds or lawn between the

driveway and path where these are at presentseparate

! the removal of original border fencing or

planting, or the addition of inappropriate brickwalling

! brightly coloured asphalt

Loose gravel can be an attractive softer finish to driveways

Randomly layed setts

Traditional concrete driveway with grass verges