The number of successful applications for dropped kerbs increased by 49% between 2013 and 2015, leading to councils generating millions of pounds in fees.

In total, more than £2.9m was generated from application fees in 2015, a 68% rise from 2013.

In 2015, Kent County Council recorded both the highest number of dropped kerb application approvals (1,394) and the most amount generated via fees (£404,976) in the country.

Cheshire and West Chester Council rejected the most requests at 138 – 78% of all vehicular access point applications submitted to the council.

With regards to application fees, a significant disparity was observed for the amount charged across the UK.

Some councils, such as Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, do not charge a fee, while others do, including Dorset County Council, which charges £267.50.

The average cost of an application – including those boroughs where it’s free – is £66 in the UK.

Rebecca Clapham, head of household products at Direct Line, highlighted that dropped kerb applications are an opportunity for homeowners to add value to their property and attract more potential buyers.

“For many local authorities, applications for changes to parking access and other planning requests are a valuable source of additional revenue. 

“It is, however, a postcode lottery, while some authorities charge nothing for applications, others charge hundreds of pounds.”