A post-war estate named after lakes
The Lakes Estate is one of the Redcar neighbourhoods that does not have its own council ward: the ONS postcode directory puts Buttermere Road (TS10 1LZ) in the Newcomen ward. Its street names make it easy to find on a map. Alongside the Lake District names there is Lucerne Road, named after the Swiss lake, and the estate has its own school, Lakes Primary.
A former resident's memoir on the Ridkere website describes his family moving into a brand new council house on Buttermere Road in 1952, calling the estate one of Redcar's early post-war housing projects, known for its pink concrete roads and blue street lighting. He recalls Buttermere Road having only eighteen houses and Haweswater Road four, and a double-decker bus terminus on Windermere Avenue.
The 2021 Census small area that covers Buttermere Road (LSOA Redcar and Cleveland 002B) had 710 households. Of those, 69% were semi-detached, 27% terraced and just 2% detached. About 28% had no car or van and 30% had two or more. Two-thirds (66%) were owner-occupied, with 21% in social housing and 12% privately rented.
What that means for a drive:
- Front lawns, not drives. Houses built for tenants in the early 1950s rarely had parking, so most jobs start from grass.
- Paths and gates down the side of semis, which need to stay usable for bins and bikes.
- Neighbours' drives of different ages and materials, so matching levels at the boundary matters.
- Social tenants, who need written consent from their landlord before any work.
Clay soil and rainwater
The British Geological Survey maps the estate on glacial till, a stiff stony clay, over Redcar Mudstone. Clay does not soak up much water. A good drive here has a compacted stone sub-base on a geotextile, a gentle fall away from the house, and a plan for where water ends up: a lawn edge, a border, a soakaway sized for clay, or a permeable surface on a deeper open-graded base.
The Environment Agency's flood map shows Buttermere Road in Flood Zone 1, with no river or sea flood zone within about 400 metres. Surface water during downpours is the thing to design for.
Getting the go-ahead
Planning. There is no conservation area on the estate. For a house, a permeable front drive, or one draining onto the garden, does not need planning permission. A sealed surface of more than five square metres that drains to the road does.
Landlord consent. Tenants of a housing association or private landlord must get written permission first.
The dropped kerb. Redcar and Cleveland Council says a crossing is needed for vehicle access to protect the footway and vehicles, and its online application has to be made by the property owner. It does not publish a fee on that page. The council looks at whether a car can park without overhanging the pavement and at nearby junctions and street furniture. Apply before the drive is built. Our dropped kerbs page explains the process.
Planning a Lakes Estate conversion
A single space with room to open doors in front of a semi is often around 18 to 22m². Most Lakes Estate fronts are lawn with a low wall or hedge, so the work starts with lifting turf and topsoil and checking what lies beneath before the stone sub-base goes in. Where a house is rented, the landlord's written consent comes before anything else, because the council will ask for it with the crossing application.
The dropped kerb is a separate step: Redcar and Cleveland Council assesses the site and sets the price for the crossing. Keeping a strip of lawn or a border beside the parking space is cheaper than paving the lot and helps drainage. Tarmac and gravel are the usual budget picks; our Redcar cost guide explains what moves a quote.
Nearby areas
- Newcomen: the wider ward around the estate, with more semis around Mersey Road and Thames Road.
- West Dyke: to the east along West Dyke Road, with more detached homes and wider drives.
- Kirkleatham: to the south, a large ward of mixed bungalows, semis and terraces.
All our areas are on the areas page.
Questions people ask on the Lakes Estate
Can I turn my Lakes Estate front garden into a drive?
Usually. You need enough depth to park without overhanging the pavement, a dropped kerb approved by Redcar and Cleveland Council (the owner applies), and your landlord's consent if you rent. A permeable surface avoids a planning application.
Who applies for the dropped kerb?
The council's form says it should be completed by the property owner. If you rent, your landlord or housing association would need to apply or agree in writing.
Will a new drive cause flooding on the estate's clay?
Not if it is designed properly. Use a permeable surface on a suitable base, or lay a sealed surface to fall towards a lawn, border or soakaway so rainwater stays on your land rather than running into the road.
Is there anything special about building next to a neighbour's drive?
Match the levels at the boundary, keep water from running onto their drive, and agree where the edging goes. On semis, the side path often needs to stay clear for both homes' bins and access.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, LSOA Redcar and Cleveland 002B (TS044, TS045, TS054 via Nomis); postcodes.io (ONS Postcode Directory): TS10 1LZ, Buttermere Road; Ridkere, a memoir of Redcar: Lakes Estate, Buttermere Road; Wikipedia: Redcar (areas and wards); BGS Geology Viewer, 1:50,000; Environment Agency flood map for planning; Redcar and Cleveland Council: dropped kerbs; GOV.UK: permeable surfacing of front gardens.