How to create an off street parking space off a narrow, rural road | IBRAN

Nick's project demonstrates how a little thought can transform seemingly difficult plots into durable off street parking, using IBRAN-X.

Nick was faced with the task of creating a new off street parking space outside his mid terrace cottage in the rural Derbyshire Dales village of Doveridge. As with most villages in the area, once you're off the main roads, the roads become narrower and on street parking becomes impractical.

With the drop from the street down to the cottage and the raised kerb, two things had to be done to enable this project to begin. Firstly, Nick had to install a drop kerb. This had two effects: firstly local kids lost their ability to play "kerby" (a local favourite ball game) but secondly, they now had access directly off the road without having to jump the kerb. Not that this was a problem for Nick's Land Rover but the neighbouring holiday cottages certainly would benefit.

Secondly, Nick needed to address the steep drop down to the house from the pavement. By installing sleepers, Nick was able to raise the level of the parking spot to the level of the kerb. These sleepers act as retaining walls for the sub base and stone. To ensure good drainage, Nick ripped up the existing concrete in the space, lined the base with a permeable membrane and topped it up to 50mm below the top surface with type 1 MOT, sourced from just down the road in Breedon.

Off street parking for a rural cottage

Using IBRAN-X Gravel grids finished and filled with local Derbyshire stone, Nick created a raised but free draining, off street parking space for his mid terrace home, onto which he can pull his Land Rover straight off the narrow street.

Because the base is permeable (free draining), this wouldn’t lead to damp issues in his mid terrace home but Nick decided to leave a small walkway between the house and the parking space, allowing access to the log store next to the parking spot.