UK homeowners at risk of new driveway charges

UK homeowners with access to a driveway could be "charged" with brand new fees under a major climate move, according to a report. It comes after the London Climate Resilience Review suggested that new costs could be introduced for those with “impermeable” land due to flood risks.

Usually, standard concrete and tarmac driveways are designed to be impermeable and prevent water from seeping through. These driveways are usually a solid, sealed surface, with water sitting on the top instead of soaking into the ground below. The report, published 12 months ago, claimed that charging road users would “disincentivise” homeowners from “paving over" any green space on their land.

However, the move could be a setback for millions of road users who still rely on their vehicles daily.

The report was first published back in July 2024, with the study commissioned by the Mayor of London.

The report read: “As more people are angered by their neighbours adding to local flood risk, one solution could be charging people based on the surface area of the land they own that is impermeable.

“This would not only raise much-needed revenue to mitigate risks, but also disincentivise paving over gardens and other green spaces.”

The London Climate Resilience Review aimed to justify the concept of a charge by taking examples from other major cities that have similar fees.

The study suggested that Melbourne Water in Australia charges all customers a waterways and drainage charge to fund maintenance.

Meanwhile, the report also admitted that stormwater charges were found in many cities across the USA. There has apparently been a 10% fall in the amount of permeable land available in England from 2001 to 2022.

The report added: “Grilles and permeable paving both require maintenance and often fill up with moss, weeds, dust and other matter.

“This means they do not capture run-off, particularly during the heavy downpours, and cumulative effect of all these residential modifications is that the water is overwhelming drains and blocking roads.”

The Former Chair of the Environment Agency, Emma Howard-Boyd, previously suggested that “hard surfaces” were a major risk.

She explained: “There is a very, very clear link between the amount of hard surfaces that we now have across London, and an increase in surface water flooding.

"Water has to go somewhere, and what we need to see is greater sponginess....We would encourage people to look at and understand the knock-on consequences if we’re all doing a little bit of this work to gardens."

The Express has contacted the Mayor of London for comment.