Driveways, gardens and building work in Great Bowden
Driveways, patios, garden transformations, extensions and conversions across Great Bowden and the villages around it.
For a typical Great Bowden drive of 40–75m², a resin bound driveway costs roughly £6,000–£16,500 and block paving £4,750–£12,750. A 25–45m² porcelain patio is roughly £3,750–£9,000, and a full garden transformation typically £15,000–£35,000. 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.
- Council
- Harborough District Council; highways Leicestershire County Council
- Postcode
- LE16
- Conservation
- Conservation area; no Article 4 affecting driveways
- 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.
Homes, ground and conservation in Great Bowden
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.
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. Check any address on the Environment Agency flood map.
Sources: Great Bowden conservation area · Great Bowden neighbourhood plan.
Council rules and fees for Great Bowden
- Dropped kerbs: £300 to apply, then either the county council builds it at a quoted price, or an accredited contractor builds it under a £240 permit; built by the county council at a quoted price, or an accredited contractor with £10m public liability insurance and an NRSWA street works card, which we can do for you. Leicestershire County Council: vehicle access
- Front driveways: 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. Planning Portal guidance
- Planning: householder applications cost £548 (national fee from April 2026); pre-application advice from Harborough District Council costs £101. Pre-application advice
- Building regulations: Leicestershire Building Control Partnership (LBCP). Garage conversion £517.96 building notice (garage conversion up to 36m²); extension £793.09 for a 10–50m² extension. Building control
- Trees: six weeks' notice for trees in a conservation area, consent for protected trees; both free. Harborough: tree work
Checked October 2026.
“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
Villages we cover around Great Bowden
- Market Harborough
- Little Bowden
- Welham
- Slawston
- Foxton
Things people in Great Bowden ask us
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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.