Homeowners are increasingly converting their gardens into parking spaces in a bid to improve the desirability of their properties and beat council parking charges.
Successful applications for the installation of dropped kerbs, which allow cars to cross the pavement safely from the road, increased by 49% between 2013 and 2015.
Out of a total of 42,281 applications for kerbs to be dropped in 2015, 29,587 applications were approved.
The research from home insurer Direct Line revealed that demand may be increasing because residents across the UK increasingly face on-street parking restrictions.
In addition, research among estate agents highlighted off-street parking as a key factor in improving the desirability of a property and adding to its value.
Local authorities across the UK are generating millions of pounds in revenue from dropped kerb applications. In 2015 alone, more than £2.9 million was generated in application fees, up 68% from 2013. Kent County Council approved the most dropped kerb applications in 2015 with all 1,394 of its requests granted.
As well as approving the most applications, Kent County Council also generated more than £400,000 from dropped kerb applications in 2015 and earned over £400,000 in 2015 – nearly £80,000 more (24%) than in 2014. This income was more than double the amount of second-placed Surrey County Council, which earned more than £190,000 from these applications over the same time period.
It is a postcode lottery when it comes to residents making an application for a dropped kerb in the UK. Some local authorities, such as Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, do not charge for applications while Dorset County Council bills £267.50, Kent charges £150 and Bromley £100.
Rebecca Clapham, head of household products at Direct Line, said: “As the number of cars on the road increases, so does pressure on available spaces and this, combined with the cost of on-street parking and residents’ permits, means that many homeowners see dropping the kerb to create an off-street parking space as an attractive option.
“As estate agents highlight, it is also an opportunity for homeowners to add value to their property and to make it more attractive to 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 charges hundreds of pounds.”
