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White lines


Vehicle access markings (VAM), ‘H’ bars or ‘dog bones’ are white lines painted onto the road to draw attention to a driveway or vehicle access. These white lines are advisory only and have no legal standing.

An approved vehicle crossover (‘dropped kerb’) is where the kerb is dropped from the normal height and the path or verge is strengthened to take the weight of the vehicle crossing. Without an approved ‘dropped kerb’, the path and any pipes buried below could be damaged.

The white line will extend across the whole of the dropped kerb from the point where the kerb starts sloping down on either side of the driveway or access.

Who can apply

The resident or owner of a property can apply for a vehicle access marking to be installed if there is a properly constructed dropped kerb approved by Kent County Council.

If in doubt about this, we will check compliance with Kent County Council.

Criteria

A Kent County Council (KCC) approved dropped kerb must be in place, there must also be a legitimate vehicular access with evidence of its need.

They are provided on the understanding they cannot be used for the purpose of reserving a parking space on the highway

We cannot accept an application for a vehicle access marking where double yellow lines are already in place.

If the marking is to cover more than one access, written consent of the owner of the second access may also be required. The applicant is responsible for all costs.

You will need to be named on the Council Tax account for your property or have proof of residency.

Should a vehicle access no longer be used for its intended purpose, the markings will be removed.

Are these markings enforced

Vehicle access markings are a nationally recognised marking to highlight the presence of a driveway but have no legal standing.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's Civil Enforcement Officers do not issue penalty charge notices to vehicles which have parked over a vehicle access marking unless there are parking restrictions in place, i.e. within a permit parking area.

Where a vehicle is parked causing an obstruction to a driveway or an entrance to any premises and you are unable to find the driver or owner to politely request that it be moved, you should contact the Police on 101.

Police response will depend upon the degree of danger to public safety and their incident demand.

To cause an obstruction there must be a dropped kerb and/or an access road. If there is not a dropped kerb or access road, there is no implied right to leave or enter a road over the pavement.

How to apply

If you have an approved dropped kerb, please e-mail your details and we will assess your application.

The following information is required:

  • your name and address
  • contact phone number
  • is the application for a new line or repaint of an existing line?
  • attached photographs can also be helpful

Should approval be given, the fee must be paid before we proceed further.

Contact us

Installation of the line will be programmed into our Lining Contractor’s work schedule and should be completed within approximately 30 days (from receipt of payment).

Costs

The total cost for assessing your application and installing a new vehicle access marking is £200 based on a single width driveway.

If your driveway is longer than a single width, or the line will extend across more than one driveway, please contact us to discuss costs.

If your existing white line needs repainting because it is worn and unclear, the cost to have a line repainted is currently £80.

Pay now

Contact us

If you have any questions regarding making an application for a vehicle access marking, please contact our Parking Team.

Email: parkingrestrictions@tunbridgewells.gov.uk

Telephone: 01892 554091