Dropped kerbs (vehicular accesses)

Processing applications for dropped kerbs to enable access to your property.

New dropped kerbs require consent from Suffolk County Council, with the exeption of:

Trunk roads are managed by Atkins on behalf of the Highways Agency. Any questions regarding these roads should be directed to W S Atkins rather than Suffolk County Council.

Requests for new dropped kerbs in the following towns should be directed to:

On A, B and C class roads, planning permission from the district or borough council may be needed.

If you want to get a dropped kerb installed so that you can access your property you need to get an Access Request Application.


Legal considerations

Planning permission is not usually required for such work, but may be if the property involved:

  • has the frontage directly on to a classified road;
  • is a listed building or in a conservation area;
  • is other than a house for a single family, such as a flat, maisonette, commercial or industrial premises.


Please contact your district council who will confirm whether you need to have planning permission.

When you have planning permission or a letter saying that you do not need it, or if you live on an unclassified road, you can apply for consent to construct the vehicular access from Suffolk County Council

If consent is given the county council will send you a list of instructions and details of accredited contractors who can carry out the work. The New Roads and Street Works Act makes it an offence for the work to be done by anyone who is not accredited.


Important notice

The construction of a vehicle crossing simply gives the right to drive across the pavement to gain access to the property with a private or light goods motor car, the crossing itself is part of the public road and there is no right to park on it. From the date that the county council accepts the completed crossing, they will assume responsibility for its maintenance at no cost to the occupier, apart from any damage caused by use by heavy vehicles, and so on. For this reason, the crossing must be built to the county council specification.

Before construction can take place you must remove the fence, wall or hedge within the property at the place where the crossing will be located.


To request an Access Request Application form contact your Customer Service Centre.