The councils
Until 2023, Hambleton District Council dealt with planning around Northallerton and North Yorkshire County Council dealt with roads and pavements. Both are now North Yorkshire Council. The exception is planning inside the North York Moors National Park, which covers Osmotherley and other villages on the Cleveland Hills: there, planning goes to the North York Moors National Park Authority, while the kerb is still for North Yorkshire Council.
Do I need planning permission?
For a house, a new or replacement front drive is usually permitted development, so no application is needed, if:
- it's made of a permeable material, such as permeable block paving, resin-bound or gravel, or
- rain runs off it onto a lawn, border or soakaway on your own property.
If the drive is over five square metres, impermeable, and drains onto the road or pavement, you need planning permission. Flats and maisonettes have fewer permitted development rights, and some new estates have conditions that remove them, so check your planning history and deeds.
Conservation areas
Many villages around Northallerton have conservation areas, including Brompton, Great Smeaton, Ainderby Steeple, Scruton, Osmotherley and parts of the town centre. In a conservation area:
- knocking down a wall, fence or gate over a certain height may need permission,
- materials and layout are looked at more closely,
- trees are protected: you must give six weeks' notice before most tree work.
Listed buildings
If your home is listed, changes that affect its character or setting, including walls, railings and some ground surfaces, can need listed building consent. Working without it is a criminal offence, so check first.
The kerb
To drive across a pavement or verge, you need a proper vehicle crossing. North Yorkshire Council offers two routes: buy a domestic licence and have an approved independent contractor build the crossing, or ask the council to quote for building it. The council checks visibility, road safety, the effect on other road users, street furniture and services in the footway. On fast roads such as the A684 and A167, visibility is especially important. Our dropped kerbs page has the details.
Other consents
- Landlords: tenants need written consent before any work.
- Freeholders: leaseholders usually need consent too.
- Covenants: some estates restrict front gardens, parking or boundary changes.
- Shared drives: everyone with a right of way should agree.
- Water company: any connection to a public sewer needs its consent; we design to keep water on your land instead.
Our approach
We'll point out anything we spot on our visit, such as a conservation area, a listed wall or a protected tree, and explain how the design deals with it. Where an application is needed, the decision rests with the council or the National Park Authority, so it's worth checking early.