Tarmac driveways in Great Bowden
Tarmac driveways and long rural entrances in and around Great Bowden, with sett and block borders.
A tarmac driveway in Great Bowden typically costs £90–£130 per m² all in. Most Great Bowden drives we price are around 40–75m², which works out at roughly £3,500–£9,750. 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
- £3,500–£9,750 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 tarmac driveways in Great Bowden usually involve
A tarmac (asphalt) driveway is machine or hand laid hot over a compacted sub-base, usually as a binder course with a finer surface course on top. It is the hardest-wearing option for long drives, farm entrances and heavy vehicles.
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
- Stone mastic asphalt surface course as our standard build
- Proper sub-base under it, so it does not rut or crack
- Granite sett or block borders that lift the whole frontage
- Long drives and farm entrances machine laid
The specification
- Old surface out and the ground checked
- 150mm compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base
- Binder course laid hot and rolled
- SMA (stone mastic asphalt) surface course
- Sett, block or kerb edging restrained in concrete
- 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
Tarmac driveways in Great Bowden: questions
How much does a tarmac driveway cost in Great Bowden?
Do I need planning permission for a tarmac 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.