You can apply to have a H-bar road marking placed across a dropped kerb leading to your driveway, to help keep the area clear of other motorists obstructing your access.
H-bars are a painted single white line with short transverse markings at either end - they look like a stretched letter 'H'. The marking should not extend more than 1 metre either side of the dropped kerb.
Important things to consider
There are certain situations where a H-bar road marking is not appropriate.
We will not consider the installation of a H-bar marking:
- across a driveway where it is not obvious that vehicle access is required or inconsiderate parking occurs
- where the kerb has not been lowered to meet the highway
- where there are existing road markings across the entrance to your driveway
- on the opposite side of the road to your driveway to make turning movements easier
Where the driveway is shared or a gap between two driveways is not sufficient to allow a vehicle to park on-street without causing an obstruction, then the marking will need to be installed across both driveways. You will need to get written agreement from your neighbour, which should be submitted with your application.
Apply online
You can apply for a H-bar road marking online:
Costs
The application fee is £80. This covers the cost of inspecting the location and deciding the outcome of the application. It must be paid when you apply and is non-refundable if your application is not approved.
If your application is approved, there is an additional fee of £50 before the H-Bar marking is installed.
You can pay online using our online payments service - just search for: H-Bar Marking
To provide this service in the most economical manner, new H-Bar markings will only be installed when other road marking works are taking place in the area. This means there may be a delay between approving your application and the ‘H’ Bar being installed.
If someone parks on a H-bar marking
H-bar road markings are a reminder to other road users that parking across a dropped kerb driveway causes an obstruction to people wishing to access or leave a property by vehicle.
Creating an obstruction like this is an offence, so you can report it to the police. It may be possible for us to issue a Penalty Charge Notice to a vehicle that is parked across a dropped kerb at a driveway, but we are not able to remove a vehicle.