Most Copnor properties sit on flat Portsea Island ground, similar to neighbouring Fratton, so Tarmac & Asphalt here comes down to hot-rolled asphalt compacted over a prepared sub-base into a single dense, flat surface. Copnor’s own driveways are shaped by narrow terraced frontages with consistent on-street parking pressure. It is best suited to larger driveways that can achieve a proper fall to a drainage point, though standard tarmac is impermeable, so the drainage fall has to be built in at construction.
About Tarmac & Asphalt
Tarmac and asphalt driveways are formed from hot-rolled bitumen-bound aggregate, laid in one or two courses over a compacted stone sub-base and rolled while still hot to bond into a single dense, flat surface. It is quick to lay across a large area compared with unit-by-unit systems, copes well with sustained vehicle weight, and gives a classic, understated dark finish that suits both period and modern properties without competing with the architecture. Standard tarmac is not permeable, so correct falls and edge drainage need to be built in at construction rather than added afterward, and a sound, well-compacted sub-base is what actually determines how long the surface lasts rather than the tarmac layer alone.
Best suited to: larger driveways, properties wanting a low-fuss uniform finish, and sites that can achieve proper falls to a drainage point
Less suited to: sites with no viable drainage fall or where a permeable/SuDS-compliant surface is specifically wanted
Ground & property in Copnor
Copnor’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces sit on the same flat Portsea Island ground as neighbouring Fratton, though the streets here are a touch less densely packed. Frontages are still narrow by modern standards, and consistent on-street parking pressure makes a dropped kerb and small-footprint conversion the typical enquiry.