Driveway/access wide enough?

[Swell1]

Hello, my friend is looking at building a property in his large rear garden but his driveway/access to the plot is just under 10ft wide. Is there a minimum width required for access when looking at planning? Any advice appreciated.

 

[bernardgreen]

Some planning departments may ask for due consideration of access for emergency vehicles if the new property is a significant distance from the public high way.

 

[Mottie]

I'd have thought 10ft would be plenty. What is the width on typical width restrictions you see in streets nowdays? Ambulances can get through them I know that. Fire engines would just run an extra hose I reckon. Less difficult than going to the top floor of a block of flats!

 

[bernardgreen]

I'd have thought 10ft would be plenty.

In a straight line yes but if the appliance ( typically Length: 10.5 metres Width: 2.3 metres ) has to turn into the driveway / access then the width at the highway end has to be sufficient for a vehicle to make the turn.

the top floor of a block of flats

Many have dry riser mains to avoid the need for hoses up the stair wells

.

 

[blup]

Visibility at the junction with the adopted highway is also relevant.

Blup

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Local council here have decreed that a driveway longer than 20m (this is in town) is usually grounds to refuse pp (this to stop the nice big back gardens becoming housing estates). Width wise 10' (or 3m in new money) is adequate tho highways may look at an existing entrance and deem it inadequate for new development (sightline splays, street width etc)

 

[rssteve]

I worked in a recent new build in a garden and the pp included that a sprinkler system had to be fitted due to access as a condition.