Block paving driveways in Market Harborough
Block paved driveways in Market Harborough, laid on a full sub-base with restrained edges and drainage to your own ground.
A block paved driveway in Market Harborough typically costs £120–£170 per m² all in. Most Market Harborough drives we price are around 30–55m², which works out at roughly £3,500–£9,250. 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
- £3,500–£9,250 for 30–55m²
- 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
- Lias mudstone and 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 Market Harborough 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.
Market Harborough has a historic core around the Square and the Old Grammar School, Victorian and Edwardian streets out to Little Bowden and Great Bowden, later estates around the edge, and the large Airfield Farm development near Lubenham.
We cover Market Harborough (LE16) and the villages around it, including Great Bowden, Little Bowden, Lubenham, Foxton, East Farndon, Kibworth, Husbands Bosworth and Medbourne.
Ground, drainage and conservation in Market Harborough
Market Harborough is on Jurassic mudstones and clays, which drain slowly, and the town sits where the River Welland meets the River Jordan. Water management decides most designs here, so we test the ground before choosing a soakaway or a permeable build-up.
The Market Harborough conservation area covers the historic town core and was designated in 1969, with separate conservation areas at Great Bowden and Lubenham. An Article 4 direction served in 2020 on land at Queen's Street, Little Bowden, covers gates, fences and walls.
The town centre flooded from surface water in September 2024, when a high River Welland stopped the drains discharging, and more than 50 properties flooded in July 2013. Permeable surfaces and attenuation are worth taking seriously here. You can check any address on the Environment Agency flood map.
Sources: Market Harborough flood report, Sept 2024 · Market Harborough conservation area.
Permissions and fees in Market Harborough
- 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 Market Harborough 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 Market Harborough 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 Market Harborough: questions
How much does a block paving driveway cost in Market Harborough?
Do I need planning permission for a block paving driveway in Market Harborough?
How do I get a dropped kerb in Market Harborough?
Will a new driveway drain properly in Market Harborough?
Block paving driveways nearby
Request a site visit in Market Harborough
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.