Resin is a common request on both sides of this patch. In Boley Park, Darwin Park and the Tamworth estates, owners want to turn a tired tarmac or concrete drive into something smarter without digging it out. In Lichfield's older streets and the villages, it is usually a new drive where a lawn or gravel used to be.
Both councils, and Staffordshire County Council as the flood authority, push hard for surfaces that let rain soak in. Resin-bound on a permeable base does that, which is why it sits comfortably with the local rules.
Ground and Gate doesn't do the work. We pass your enquiry to one local driveway specialist who covers WS13, WS14, B77, B78 and B79, and they confirm a fixed price with you directly.
What a resin driveway costs in Lichfield & Tamworth
| Job | Indicative price |
|---|---|
| Resin-bound on a new base, per m² | £75–£115 |
| Resin-bound over sound tarmac or concrete, per m² | £55–£80 |
| Digging out a lawn for a new base, per m² | £10–£18 |
| Edgings, per metre | £25–£45 |
| Two-car drive over sound tarmac (about 30m²) | £2,200–£3,390 |
| Two-car drive on grass, new base (about 30m²) | £3,100–£4,980 |
The rates are the same across the West Midlands. A single drive of about 18m² on a Tamworth estate, overlaid on sound tarmac, comes to roughly £990–£1,440 for the resin before edgings, so it usually meets the £1,500 minimum for an overlay. A new resin drive on a Whittington or Shenstone village plot is priced on the larger area and the dig. The block paving vs resin cost guide compares the two surfaces line by line.
What pushes the price up here
- A tired base. Builder-laid tarmac on 1980s and 1990s estates is often thin at the edges. If it is cracking, it has to come out before resin goes down.
- Drainage on mudstone. Where the ground will not take water, the run-off needs a channel to a planted area or a sewer connection instead of a soakaway.
- Keeping some garden. Lichfield's design code limits how much of a front garden can be paved where planning applies, which can change the shape and size of the drive.
- Article 4 houses. On the named Lichfield, Whittington and Wigginton houses, the drive waits for planning permission.
- Edges and borders. Older Lichfield fronts often need a block or brick border to sit well against the walls, which adds edging cost.
Paving limits in Lichfield and Tamworth
Lichfield District. The Lichfield District Design Code, adopted in December 2024, says new hard surfaces that are not part of the public highway should be designed to be permeable. In its suburban areas it goes further: where a project falls under the planning system, householders will not be permitted to pave more than two thirds of their front garden or one third of their back garden. Resin-bound helps with the first rule but not the second, so plan to keep some planting.
Article 4 houses in Lichfield District. The council's Article 4 schedules list named houses in Lichfield city, including Mousley Terrace on Frog Lane and parts of Gaia Lane, St Chad's Road and Curborough Road, plus houses in Whittington and Wigginton. For all of them, providing a hard surface for parking needs planning permission.
Tamworth Borough. Tamworth's Design SPD says hardstanding should be strong enough for a car but let water drain naturally into the ground, and that permeable or porous materials allow that. It warns that paved hardstanding can add to flood risk and carry pollutants into drains. It also asks that front gardens keep soft landscaping where possible rather than being paved over for parking. The borough's Article 4 directions on Victoria Road, Albert Road and Glascote Lane cover walls and gates rather than surfacing, but taking down a front wall for a drive there needs permission.
Drainage: what Staffordshire's flood team expects
Staffordshire County Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority for both Lichfield and Tamworth. Its guidance for householders says it supports the rule that front-garden paving over 5m² must be permeable or need planning permission, in line with the recommendations of the Pitt Report on surface water flooding. See the 5m² rule guide.
The same guidance sets out the order for getting rid of rainwater. Let it soak into the ground first. Where that is impractical because of impermeable ground or high groundwater, send it to a watercourse or surface water sewer, with a combined sewer only as a last resort. Surface water must never go into a foul drain.
Ground varies across the patch. The British Geological Survey's bedrock map shows Triassic sandstone and conglomerate under Lichfield city, but Warwickshire Group mudstone, siltstone and sandstone under Glascote and Amington in Tamworth. That is why a percolation test on the day matters more than any general rule.
To drive across the pavement you also need a dropped kerb from Staffordshire. Its criteria ask for room to park at right angles to the road, ideally 6 metres deep and never less than 4.8 metres. The Lichfield and Tamworth driveways page covers the fees.
What the job involves
- Survey. The specialist checks whether the old drive can be overlaid, measures the garden left over, and works out where the water will go.
- Base. Cracks are repaired and the surface primed, or the area is dug out and a permeable base laid with falls away from the house.
- Laying. Resin and dried stone are mixed in batches and trowelled in one go, with trims or a border at the edges.
- Curing. Walk on it within hours and drive on it after a day or two, weather permitting.
Questions about resin driveways in Lichfield & Tamworth
How much of my Lichfield front garden can I cover with a resin drive?
Where planning rules apply, Lichfield's 2024 District Design Code says no more than two thirds of a front garden should be paved, and new hard surfaces should be permeable. A resin-bound drive that leaves a planted strip meets both. Ordinary permitted development may still cover a simple drive, so ask the district's planners if you are unsure.
Does a resin drive need planning permission on Gaia Lane in Lichfield?
If your house is on Lichfield District Council's Article 4 schedule, yes. The schedule names specific houses on Gaia Lane, St Chad's Road, Curborough Road and Mousley Terrace, and for those a hard surface for parking needs permission even if it is permeable.
Where should rainwater from my Tamworth drive go if the ground will not drain?
Staffordshire's flood guidance says to let water soak in first. If the ground is impermeable, the next options are a watercourse or a surface water sewer, then a combined sewer as a last resort. It must never be connected to a foul drain.
Does the Article 4 direction on Victoria Road in Tamworth cover a new drive?
Not the surface itself. Tamworth's 2008 direction for Victoria Road and Albert Road covers gates, fences and walls, among other things, but not hard surfacing. Taking down the front wall to make space for a drive would still need planning permission at the houses it lists.
How deep must my Staffordshire drive be for a car to park on it?
Staffordshire's dropped kerb criteria ask for 6 metres where possible and at least 4.8 metres, measured at right angles to the road. Parking along the line of the road is not accepted.