Dropped kerbs in Essex County Council: fee, who builds it and how to apply

Everything you need to apply for a dropped kerb (vehicle crossing) with Essex County Council, from the council's own website. Last checked 3 October 2026.

Apply for initial consent (Essex Highways)

Who builds dropped kerbs in Essex?

Essex uses a two-stage process. You apply for consent; your chosen contractor then books the road space and builds the crossing. You may choose any suitably qualified contractor. Essex does not keep an approved list, but it checks the contractor's details before they may work on the highway and can refuse a contractor it considers not competent.

How much does a dropped kerb cost in Essex?

Homeowner application fee: £210.18. Non-refundable initial application fee (covers the site visit, a search for underground apparatus and admin). If approved, your contractor pays £150 for the Road Opening Notice. Vehicle crossing fees carry no VAT.

Road Opening Notice (paid by your contractor): £150

Total council fees: £360.18 (construction not included).

Building it: Essex doesn't publish a typical construction price. Councils that do publish prices quote roughly £1,000 to £3,500 for a standard crossing.

Estimate your total for Essex with the calculator

Contractor requirements in Essex

• Valid £10 million public liability insurance
• All site workers NRSWA-accredited to Operative level, with at least one Supervisor-level person on site or available at any time
• Prescribed PPE

How to check street works cards and insurance before you hire: our guide to dropped kerb contractors.

How to apply in Essex

1. Check the criteria: a parking space at least 5 m deep (at about right angles to the road) by 2.5 m wide.
2. Get planning permission first if you are on a classified road (A, B or Class III), and check local conditions such as covenants with your district council.
3. Apply online for initial consent with a measured plan, any planning permission and the owner's written consent, and pay £210.18.
4. Essex inspects, then requests details of underground utilities (a 'stats request'); the application is on hold until that comes back.
5. Your contractor books the road space with a Road Opening Notice (£150) and builds the crossing within 6 months of approval.
6. An inspector checks the finished crossing a few weeks later; the contractor fixes any defects.

How long it takes

• After preliminary consent the process 'can take several weeks'.
• Works must be completed within 6 months of approval, or you reapply.

Size and siting rules

• Parking space at least 5 m deep by 2.5 m wide; smaller spaces are refused and the fee is not refunded.
• Single crossing: 4 to 5 dropped kerbs (3.6 to 4.5 m) plus 2 ramp kerbs.
• A second crossing is only possible on unclassified roads, with 5 m of full-height kerb between the two.
• Gates must be at least 6 m from the edge of the highway.
• Mobility vehicle or motorbike access: no more than 1.8 m dropped.

Good to know

• Harlow residents: most homes are covered by council covenants, so check Harlow Council's front garden parking consent first.
• Essex will not stop residents parking across a drive in a residents' parking area unless you pay for the legal order to be changed, with no guarantee of success.

Nearby councils

• Southend-on-Sea City Council: £300 total council fees, council's own list only
• Thurrock Council: £375 total council fees, council builds
• Cambridgeshire County Council: £414 total council fees, any qualified contractor
• Hertfordshire County Council: £139 total council fees, council builds
• Suffolk County Council: £450 total council fees, any qualified contractor

Other neighbouring councils we haven't checked yet (official links): Enfield, Havering, Redbridge, Waltham Forest.

Dropped kerb guides

Dropped kerb cost
Council fees compared, plus a cost calculator How to apply, step by step
Documents, timescales and refusals Do you need planning permission?
A quick decision flow for England Rules and sizes
Depth, junctions, trees and width