Overview

• Contractor Balfour Beatty has carried out inspections and sent letters telling residents not to drive over kerbed pavements to access driveways without an authorised crossing.
• Council notices cite Section 184 of the Highways Act and warn that penalties of up to £1,000 can follow if repeated noncompliance continues after multiple notices.
• Residents report the rule was not enforced for decades, with some saying dropped-kerb applications were refused or unaffordable and one disabled pensioner curtailing driveway use.
• Guidance directs homeowners to apply for a formal dropped kerb, with a reported £165 application fee and construction costs starting at about £600.
• Transport lead Christie Lambert defends the policy as lawful and says cases can be reviewed individually, while opposition councillors describe the approach as heavy-handed.