Who lives in Belmont
Belmont was mostly farmland in the parishes of St Giles and Pittington until coal mining arrived in the second half of the 19th century. Several collieries were sunk, the largest of them Belmont Colliery, named after the 1820s Belmont Hall (now Ramside Hall again). Since the 1950s, industrial and suburban development has joined the old villages together. The parish had 8,881 residents at the 2011 Census.
The old village centre has St Mary Magdalene's Church and its vicarage, the former school, now a community centre, and the Belmont war memorial, all listed at Grade II, along with the road bridge over Broomside cutting. Estates spread around streets such as Devonshire Road, Brackendale Road, Swinside Drive and Cheveley Walk, and along Broomside Lane and Carrville High Street.
At the 2021 Census the Belmont ward had 6,289 households: 56% semi-detached, 19% terraced, 15% detached and 10% flats. 61% were owner-occupied.
The census area around Devonshire Road (LSOA County Durham 028B) is more suburban still: 47% semis, 37% detached, 84% owner-occupied and 44% of households with two or more cars or vans. Only 11% had no car.
What Belmont homeowners usually want:
- Widening a single drive across the front of a semi.
- Replacing a cracked 1960s or 1970s drive with block paving or imprinted concrete.
- Extra parking on a detached house for a third car or a van.
- Better drainage where water sits after rain.
Under the surface
The British Geological Survey maps Belmont on glacial till, a stony clay, over the Pennine Middle Coal Measures, a mix of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. Till is firm but holds water. A Belmont drive should have:
- Topsoil removed to firm clay, typically 150 to 250mm.
- A geotextile membrane and a compacted crushed-stone sub-base.
- Edges set in concrete so the surface does not creep.
- A fall away from the house, with water going to a border, a soakaway or a permeable surface.
The Environment Agency's flood map shows no mapped flood zone within 300 metres of Devonshire Road, so central Belmont is in Flood Zone 1.
Permissions
Planning. There is no conservation area at the centre of Belmont. For a house, a permeable front drive, or one draining to the garden, is permitted development. Impermeable paving over five square metres draining to the road needs planning permission. Listed buildings need listed building consent for works affecting them.
Vehicle access over the kerb. Durham County Council requires a licence for any vehicle crossing over the pavement or verge, including extending an existing one. The licence fee is £171, paid once you have arranged a contractor and before work starts. If your application is unsuccessful, there is no fee. The council's approval letter lists its registered contractors. Driving over a kerb or verge without a proper crossing is not allowed. See our dropped kerbs page.
Prices
A two-car drive in front of a Belmont semi is often 30 to 32m². At Checkatrade's April 2026 UK averages for 32m²:
| Surface | Per m² | 32m² |
|---|---|---|
| Gravel with a grid | about £60 | roughly £1,920 |
| Tarmac | about £90 | roughly £2,880 |
| Block paving | about £100 | roughly £3,200 |
| Resin bound | about £120 | roughly £3,840 |
Imprinted concrete is popular on Belmont's estates, and we can price it alongside these. Breaking out an old drive, the £171 licence and the crossing works come on top.
Choosing a surface. Block paving is the most flexible choice for a Belmont semi: it can be lifted and relaid if a drain needs attention, and a buff or brindle block suits the red brick of many 1960s and 1970s houses. Imprinted concrete covers a large area in one go and needs little upkeep, but cracks are hard to hide if the ground moves. Tarmac is quick to lay and copes well with vans. Resin bound gives the neatest finish but must go on a firm, well-drained base, which on Belmont's clay means doing the groundwork properly.
Places near Belmont
- Driveways, Gilesgate: West towards the city, with terraces, flats and a long historic street.
- Driveways, Shincliffe: South across the Wear, a conservation village.
- Driveways, Newton Hall: North-west across the river, a large estate of semis.
Popular with Belmont homeowners: block paved driveways, pattern imprinted concrete, kerb dropping.
Full list of areas: Full list.
Questions people ask in Belmont
How much is a dropped kerb licence in Belmont?
Durham County Council charges £171, paid once a contractor is arranged. If the council refuses the application, there is no fee.
Can I widen my drive without planning permission?
Usually, if the new surface is permeable or drains onto your garden. The kerb crossing may need extending too, which needs the council's licence.
Is Belmont at risk of flooding?
Central Belmont is in Flood Zone 1, with no mapped flood zone within 300 metres of Devonshire Road. Manage roof and surface water within your boundary.
Can I just drive over the kerb to my front garden?
No. Durham County Council requires a licensed vehicle crossing before you drive over the pavement or verge.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, Belmont ward and LSOA County Durham 028B (TS044, TS045, TS054 via Nomis); Wikipedia: Belmont, County Durham; Planning Data: conservation areas and listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer, 1:50,000; Environment Agency flood map for planning; Durham County Council: vehicle access over kerbs; GOV.UK: permeable surfacing of front gardens; Checkatrade driveway cost guide (April 2026).