Resin Bonded Surfacing suits Wickham well, given a Georgian and period market town centre; in practice that means aggregate broadcast and rolled onto a resin adhesive layer, giving a textured, gravel-like finish. What that means on the ground in Wickham is heritage frontages around the square limiting material choice in a way a standard estate street doesn’t have to consider, and a conservation area across the historic market square. Where it earns its keep is larger areas and verges being resurfaced over an already sound, level base; the honest caveat is that it keeps more texture underfoot than resin bound, which suits some frontages better than others.
About Resin Bonded Surfacing
Resin bonded surfacing works differently to resin bound: a resin adhesive is spread over the prepared base and the aggregate is then broadcast and rolled onto that wet layer, so only the underside of each stone is bonded and the top surface keeps its natural, textured, gravel-like appearance and grip. It is generally laid in a single layer rather than the full-depth mix used for resin bound, which makes it a economical option for covering larger areas, verges, and pathways where the fully smooth resin-bound look isn’t essential. The finish is more textured underfoot than resin bound and, because it is a thinner system, it is usually specified over a genuinely sound and level existing base rather than as a full standalone rebuild.
Best suited to: larger areas, verges, and pathways being resurfaced over an already sound, level base
Less suited to: a fully smooth barefoot-friendly finish, or sites needing a full structural rebuild rather than a resurface
Ground & property in Wickham
Wickham is a genuinely historic market town built around the River Meon and its Georgian and period market square, with a conservation area covering that centre limiting material choice in a way a standard estate street doesn’t have to consider. Frontages around the square need sympathetic treatment; further out, the specification is much more standard.
Planning note: a conservation area across the historic market square