Block paving driveways in Great Bowden
Block paved driveways in Great Bowden, laid on a full sub-base with restrained edges and drainage to your own ground.
A block paved driveway in Great Bowden typically costs £120–£170 per m² all in. Most Great Bowden drives we price are around 40–75m², which works out at roughly £4,750–£12,750. A permeable drive, or one that drains to your own lawn or border, needs no planning permission; more than 5m² of impermeable surface draining to the road does. A new or wider entrance needs a dropped kerb from Leicestershire County Council: £300 to apply, then either the county council builds it at a quoted price or an accredited contractor builds it under a £240 permit, and we can build it for you.
- Typical cost here
- £4,750–£12,750 for 40–75m²
- Planning
- Not needed if it drains to your own ground
- Dropped kerb
- Leicestershire County Council: £300 to apply (plus £240 if a contractor builds it)
- Ground
- Clay; slow to drain
Our 2026 guide prices, all in. Your fixed price comes in writing after the site visit. Council fees checked October 2026.
What block paving driveways in Great Bowden usually involve
A block paved driveway is concrete or clay blocks laid on a screeded sand course over a compacted sub-base, with edges restrained and joints sanded. Laid properly it carries cars for decades, and individual blocks can be lifted for repairs.
Great Bowden is a village of greens just north east of Market Harborough, with ironstone, brick and thatched houses around its greens and lanes, and later housing on its edges. It has its own neighbourhood plan, first made in 2018.
We cover Great Bowden (LE16) and the villages around it, including Market Harborough, Little Bowden, Welham, Slawston and Foxton.
Ground, drainage and conservation in Great Bowden
Great Bowden sits on the clays and mudstones of the Welland valley, which drain slowly, with the River Welland and the Langton Brook to the south. We design for the water first.
Great Bowden has a conservation area covering the historic village and its greens, and a neighbourhood plan with policies on design and character, so road-facing changes should respect the materials around them.
Harborough's flood records note the April 1998 flood, when the Welland and the Langton Brook overtopped, affecting part of Great Bowden Lane. You can check any address on the Environment Agency flood map.
Sources: Great Bowden conservation area · Great Bowden neighbourhood plan.
Permissions and fees in Great Bowden
- Check the surface ruleA permeable drive, or one that drains to your own lawn or border, needs no planning permission; more than 5m² of impermeable surface draining to the road does. Planning Portal guidance
- Conservation areaIf you are in the Great Bowden conservation area, use the surfaces and boundary treatments it suits. Harborough: Market Harborough conservation area
- Dropped kerbA new or wider entrance needs a dropped kerb from Leicestershire County Council: £300 to apply, then either the county council builds it at a quoted price or an accredited contractor builds it under a £240 permit, and we can build it for you. The full Great Bowden dropped kerb process
- Design and priceWe design the drive to meet all of this, give you one fixed written price and build it.
Council fees and rules checked October 2026. Planning fees are the national fees from 1 April 2026.
What you get
- Full-depth sub-base and a screeded laying course, not blocks on soil
- Restrained edges and a soldier course so the paving cannot creep
- Drainage designed in: falls, channels or soakaways to your own ground
- Permeable block available where the drainage needs it
The specification
- Old surface out, ground checked, geotextile where the ground needs it
- 150mm compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base
- Screeded sharp sand laying course
- Blocks laid to falls with a bedded soldier course edge
- Kiln-dried sand jointing, compacted in
- Five year workmanship guarantee in writing
“Really pleased with my new driveway. Beautifully finished, friendly professional workmen, would definitely recommend and will be using them again for the garden once other renovations complete.”
Driveway — Google review
“Absolutely great guys, job was done in good time and looks brilliant. No complaints, the driveway is immaculate. More work in the near future, thanks again!”
Driveway — Google review
Everything else we do here
Block paving driveways in Great Bowden: questions
How much does a block paving driveway cost in Great Bowden?
Do I need planning permission for a block paving driveway in Great Bowden?
How do I get a dropped kerb in Great Bowden?
Will a new driveway drain properly in Great Bowden?
Request a site visit in Great Bowden
We measure up, check levels and drainage, and send a written proposal with the build-up, the programme and one whole price. No pressure and no follow-up sales calls.