A vehicle crossing is the section of driveway from the front of the property boundary to the roadway. It is possible to widen or relocate your vehicle crossing.

Due to high workloads, there is a delay of approximately 10 to 12 weeks in processing vehicle crossing applications. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

good example of vehicle crossing - a residential drive way

Although the road reserve is owned by the Council, vehicle crossings are to be installed at the property owner’s expense.

To install your vehicle crossing, you will need the assistance of a roading/driveway contractor. The physical work cannot be done by yourself. 

A new vehicle crossing must comply with the requirements of the relevant District Plan and the Christchurch City Council, Construction Standard Specifications (CSS) (Section 6).

Compliance depends on several factors, such as setbacks from intersections and the type of road frontage.

If there are obstructions to proposed vehicle crossings such as trees or stormwater pipes, let us know in your application what the distance to these is so that we can advise you of your options. This is because there may be a separation requirement which, if not achievable, may require further consent.

Complete a vehicle crossing application

Work on a vehicle crossing can only start once approval is confirmed. Any work done without approval will be considered damage.

Planning your vehicle crossing

Here are some things to consider and keep in mind when planning your vehicle crossing works.

Working in the vicinity of any street tree

Tree Policy, Section 3(external link)

All works within the street corridor require a Tree Protection Management Plan (TPMP). This needs to be written by a Level 6 Technician Arborist and submitted to ccctrees@ccc.govt.nz

Any tree may also require Resource Consent for excavations within five metres. Refer to Chapter 9.4 of the District Plan for more information or contact the Duty Planner at dutyplanner@ccc.govt.nz

Tree removals

Tree Policy, Section 4(external link)

If advised by the Technician Arborist, after all alternatives have been assessed and as a last resort, an Arboricultural Impact Assessment (AIA) is required and submitted to ccctrees@ccc.govt.nz

All trees above six metres are protected under the RMA (Resource Management Act) and may require consent for their removal. Refer to Chapter 9.4 of the District Plan for more information or contact the Duty Planner at dutyplanner@ccc.govt.nz

Under the tree policy, if a tree is removed, then two trees need to be planted. This also includes establishment maintenance and watering for two years. All costs(external link) are borne by the applicant.

This process is managed by the council. Once consent and approvals have been issued, a service request will be raised to our incumbent contractor to carry out the removal and replanting.

Pruning

If any tree requires some pruning to help facilitate activities within the street corridor, please raise a service request with the necessary information so it can be appropriately assessed, including any RC/BC reference numbers. Our incumbent contractor will undertake any pruning.

A request can be raised by:

Please note: The Christchurch City Council Construction Standard Specification CSS: PART 1 2019 – 22.3 Protection of Natural Assets and Habitats will also apply to works within the vicinity of Council-owned trees. Establishment for a site access in the vicinity of a street tree is also works requiring tree protection, even if using an existing vehicle crossing.

Permission is required from the Council to remove or prune a street tree, so any tree issues must be clarified at the initial design phase of applications; and engagement with an Arborist is highly recommended who can complete an Arboricultural Impact Assessment (AIA).

There are no guarantees that street tree removals or excessive pruning will be approved, especially where trees are healthy and sound and there are alternatives to a proposed design.

Permission is required from Council to relocate a streetlight that clashes with a new vehicle crossing.

Council requires a one-metre separation from edge of streetlight pole to top of chamfer, to reduce the risk of damage to the pole due to driver error.

Please submit an application to StreetLight@ccc.govt.nz

The application must include the following information:

  • Requester details
  • Affected street address
  • Site plan showing:
    1. direction of the new location
    2. distance (metres) between original and new pole location, and
    3. distance from the new pole location to existing adjacent streetlight poles.

Please note that a full lighting assessment may also be required, at the customer’s cost. This is to ensure that the new position of the light complies with Australian & New Zealand Road Lighting Standard AS/NZS1158 series.

The streetlight relocation must be carried out by an Orion-approved contractor, at the customer’s cost.

Affected residents at neighbouring properties will need to be notified and all issues resolved prior to work commencing.

Type Minimum width Maximum width
Residential vehicle crossings 3.5 metres 6 metres
Heavy duty/Commercial vehicle crossings 4 metres 9 metres

Please refer to Part 6 of the CSS (drawing SD606)(external link) for where these measurements are taken from.

A Resource Consent may be required for any access over a waterway.

There are a number of rules in the Christchurch District Plan which need to be adhered to.

These include the number of vehicle crossings, the distances between crossings, and the distance of crossings from an intersection. In some circumstances, the width of crossings is also controlled. 

Please refer to the District Plan, Chapter 7 Transport or contact the Duty Planner on 03 941 8999.

Other information

Any alterations such as widening and extensions or new installations must first be approved by the Council.

The footpath level will not be raised to meet levels in private property unless approved prior by the Road Controlling Authority.

If there are obstructions to the proposed vehicle crossing such as trees or stormwater pipes, let us know and we will advise you of your options.

Where there is a dish channel and the resident wishes to add bridge blocks to widen the access to the property, approval will be required from the Council as per the approval process.

Council may need to inspect any vehicle crossing modifications. See 'Inspections for certification and compliance' section for further information.

Bridge blocks can be purchased from Urban Paving at 575 Sawyers Arms Road, Harewood. Hot mix asphalt should be used to bed in the blocks as this will result in a better end product.

A vehicle crossing application is not required if you are removing an existing vehicle crossing.

Instead, you need to submit a Corridor Access Request (CAR) and a Traffic Management Plan (TMP).

  1. Apply online(external link).
  2. We will endeavour to contact you within 10 working days of receiving your application.
  3. Once pre-approval is issued, your contractor must apply for a Corridor Access Request (CAR) and secure a Works Access Permit (WAP) and Traffic Management Plan (TMP). This is done through MyWorksites(external link) and further information can be found on the Working on our roads page(external link). Additional information pertaining to CAR requirements can also be found under the below section titled Contractor self-inspection/certification.
  4. Once a WAP and TMP are issued you will be able to construct your vehicle crossing.

Do not seal the vehicle crossing until you get written confirmation from the Council that the quality of the vehicle crossing meets the Council standards (CSS Section 6).

If you have not had a response to your application within 14 days, please contact us on 03 941 8999 as you are not able to start the work until approval has been given.

The vehicle crossing pre-approval application fee is $175 including GST. This fee covers pre-approval only.

If the vehicle crossing is part of a new building project, the fee may be captured under the Building Consent. In this case, please check your building consent invoice and supply the building consent number issued. Approval of your building consent will not give you the authority to construct your vehicle crossing.

The fee for the works access permit (WAP) may vary depending on the information supplied at the time of application and also the outcome of any inspections carried out on the Vehicle Crossing.

The fees for your TMP will depend on the information provided and the road-level classification.

Further information about TMPs. 

The contractor can have Council inspect the crossing works or if they can, they can self-certify. See below for further information regarding this.

Requirements for Council to complete a residential vehicle crossing

One inspection is required before the sealing is complete. This involves a visual inspection as well as an impact test (Clegg Hammer Test) to ensure the crossing is strong enough to take traffic.

Requirements for Council to complete a heavy-duty/commercial vehicle crossing

Two inspections are required:

  • One before the cutdown is poured (cage inspection).
  • Another before the sealing is complete.

The second inspection will involve an impact test (Clegg Hammer Test) to ensure the crossing is strong enough to take traffic, and a visual inspection to ensure compliance with the Construction Standard Specifications(external link).

Request Council to carry out an inspection

  • Requests are to be made to the Christchurch City Council via email to roadamenityadmin@ccc.govt.nz or by phoning 03 941 8999 and quoting your pre-approval reference number, CAR number and TMP number. Requests without these numbers will be rejected and cannot be booked until this information has been provided.
  • Requests must not be made directly to the Road Corridor Managers or other staff who may be likely to carry out the inspection.
  • Inspections are only undertaken on Tuesdays and Thursdays, weather permitting, and a time for inspection cannot be given.
  • Inspection requests must be received by 8am the day prior (i.e. 8am Monday for a Tuesday inspection and 8am Wednesday for a Thursday inspection). Requests received after these times will be booked for the next inspection day. You will be contacted to confirm your booking date.

Please note that Council will not carry out an inspection if there is no valid CAR or TMP in place.

Requirements for contractor self-inspection/certification

If a contractor wishes to carry out their own self-certification then they will be required to complete a Vehicle Crossing Completion Notice and submit that with completion photos of the crossing. These will be submitted as part of the Works Completion Notification submitted by the contractor through the CAR.

CAR requirements

Further information with regards to the CAR requirements and what we expect to see at the pre-approval stage can be found below:

Additional CAR and TMP requirements, including training videos, can be found on the working on our roads(external link) page.

After your inspection is completed

If Council has carried out an inspection or the contractor has self-certified and the crossing meets Council requirements and/or what was approved to be constructed (i.e. considered to have passed inspection), then the crossing can be sealed.

If Council inspects the crossing we will notify the person who has booked the inspection (or other nominated person) either verbally or in writing (via text message or email) at the time of inspection that it is ok to seal. An official approval to seal/complete crossing email will also be sent.

When the crossing has been sealed you/the contractor will need to submit completion photos along with all of the other required compliance information on the CAR as part of the Works Completion Notification (WCN) process. The purpose of this is so that the crossing can be entered into the two-year warranty period.

If insufficient information is provided in the WCN it will be rejected by the corridor manager and they will request further information. If they have to request further information the applicant/bill payer will likely incur additional fees on the CAR.

If a contractor wishes to carry out their own self-certification then they will be required to complete a Vehicle Crossing Completion Notice and submit that with completion photos of the crossing.

These will be submitted as part of the Works Completion Notification submitted by the contractor through the CAR.

These documents provide more information on the CAR requirements and what we expect to see at the pre-approval stage:

Additional CAR and TMP requirements, including training videos, can be found on the working on our roads(external link) page.

Contact the Council on 03 941 8999. or submit a request online.

If damage is caused by private contractors, remedial action is to be taken by those contractors.