Updated July 2026
In short
No — the pavement outside your house is public highway, maintained by the council, not you. You’re responsible for your own land up to your boundary. That’s exactly why a dropped kerb needs council approval.
Who actually looks after the pavement in front of your property — you or the council? And why does it mean you need permission for a dropped kerb?
Who owns the pavement
The pavement — properly the footway — is part of the public highway and is maintained by the highway authority: Nottingham City Council in the city, Nottinghamshire County Council across the county. Your responsibility stops at your boundary line.
So why do I need permission to cross it?
Because a dropped kerb is work on their land. That’s the whole reason it needs a Section 184 approval and a registered contractor — you’re altering the public footway, so it’s done to the council’s spec and signed off by them.
Damage and repairs
- Potholes or trip hazards in the footway — report them to the council.
- Damage from mounting the kerb without a crossing — that can be billed to you.
- A properly-built crossing that later sinks — a registered contractor’s work is to spec and inspected.
The takeaway
You don’t maintain the pavement, but you do need the council’s permission — and a registered contractor — to put a crossing through it. That’s what we handle. Get in touch.
Want it sorted properly?
We install council-approved dropped kerbs across Nottingham & Nottinghamshire — and handle the whole Section 184 application for you.
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