In Petersfield, Tarmac & Asphalt is built around chalk and greensand ground at the northern, South Downs edge of the catchment: hot-rolled asphalt compacted over a prepared sub-base into a single dense, flat surface. Petersfield’s own driveways are shaped by heritage frontages in the town centre versus standard drives on the surrounding estates, and a conservation area across the Georgian market town centre. That makes it a strong fit for larger driveways that can achieve a proper fall to a drainage point — worth knowing that 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 Petersfield
Petersfield sits at the northern, South Downs edge of the catchment on chalk and greensand ground, with a Georgian market town centre inside its own conservation area. Heritage frontages in the town centre need a different approach to the standard drives on the surrounding estates, and the longer commute-town plots here suit a more considered surface than a basic single-car frontage.
Planning note: a conservation area across the Georgian market town centre