Highways, parking and external works in London
Parking surveys and layouts, transport statements, crossovers and external works design.
About these services
Many residential and small mixed-use schemes need civil engineering where the site meets the street. This group covers parking surveys and transport statements for planning, swept-path and visibility checks for new accesses, dropped kerb applications, construction logistics plans, design of works to the public highway under Section 278 or Section 38 agreements, and external works such as levels, paving, ramps and driveway build-ups.
Small developers adding homes, homeowners wanting off-street parking, and architects designing schemes with new accesses or servicing are the main clients. Councils frequently ask for a parking stress survey where a scheme adds flats without parking, or removes spaces. Builders on tight London streets need a construction logistics plan showing how deliveries, skips and cranes will work without blocking the road. External works need levels that drain properly away from buildings.
London's highway authorities, usually the borough council, are careful about new crossovers, sight lines and works on the footway. Controlled parking zones, narrow residential roads and busy junctions in places like Waltham Forest, Redbridge and Lewisham all affect what is acceptable. Our civil engineering work ties these pieces together, so the transport evidence for planning, the access design and the external levels all tell the same story to the council.
Services in this group
- Parking survey or parking stress reportGCE-HW-003from £850
- Transport statementGCE-HW-009from £1,500
- Swept-path analysisGCE-HW-004from £250
- Visibility splay assessmentGCE-HW-012from £250
- Dropped kerb or vehicle crossover packageGCE-HW-008from £450
- Construction logistics and traffic planGCE-HW-010from £950
- Section 278 or Section 38 highway designGCE-HW-011from £5,000
- External works and levels designGCE-CW-001from £750
- Hardstanding and pavement designGCE-CW-002from £500
Which transport or access report do you need?
If your planning application adds homes in an area with on-street parking pressure, a parking survey or parking stress report is often the first thing the council asks for, and larger schemes may need a full transport statement. If you are creating or altering an access, swept-path analysis shows that vehicles can get in and out, and a visibility splay assessment confirms drivers can see oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
For a new driveway on to a council road, the dropped kerb or vehicle crossover package prepares the technical submission for the highway authority. During construction, a construction logistics and traffic plan is often a planning condition, especially on narrow streets. For the ground within your boundary, external works and hardstanding design set levels, falls and build-ups to suit both the soil and the vehicles using it.
Projects using these services
Frequently asked questions
How is a parking stress survey carried out?
Surveyors count available kerbside spaces and parked vehicles on streets within a set walking distance of the site, usually overnight when most residents are home. The results show how full the streets are and whether they can absorb extra cars from a new development. Councils generally specify the method, survey times and area, and we follow the approach they require.
Do I need permission for a dropped kerb?
Yes. A dropped kerb or vehicle crossover crosses the public footway, so you need the highway authority's approval, which in London is usually your borough council. They will look at visibility, the size of your front garden, street trees and street furniture, and whether the space meets their dimensions. Planning permission may also be needed, for example on classified roads.
What is a Section 278 agreement?
It is an agreement with the highway authority that allows a developer to carry out works to the existing public highway, such as a new junction, footway alterations or traffic calming. The developer funds the design and construction, and the authority approves the design and inspects the works. A Section 38 agreement deals with new roads that will be adopted.
Why does driveway build-up design matter?
A driveway or hardstanding has to spread vehicle loads into the ground without rutting, cracking or settling. On soft or clay ground, too thin a build-up will fail early. The design also sets falls so rainwater drains away from the house, and a permeable surface may be needed to avoid planning problems when paving over a front garden.