- Ely, Cambridgeshire
- championconstruction85@gmail.com
- Mon - Sat : 07.00-18.00
Built Right for Fenland Ground. Family-run paving and roofing across Ely, Cambridge and Cambridgeshire
Tarmac driveways in Ely from Champion Construction are built for local Fenland conditions, including clay soil, high water tables and wet winters. Danny and his son prepare each drive with proper excavation, a minimum 150mm compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base, edge restraints and drainage falls to help reduce cracking, pooling and edge breakdown. Most can be used within 24 hours. Call 07443 843 610 for a free quote.
You don’t give it much thought when you buy a new driveway. A nice smooth black surface is what you expect, right? Well, that doesn’t always mean that the driveway’s been done right. Ely has unique ground conditions that you really have to take into account. The local clay soil causes significant issues. When it’s wet it swells, when it dries it shrinks, which causes driveways laid on unsuitable sub-bases to crack. We get people in Stretham and the lower parts of Ely constantly with driveways that have split within two or three years of installation, because the sub-base wasn’t installed right in the first place.
Then we’ve got water, which is also a big problem in the Fenlands, particularly around Ely. Many locations in the Fens are at a relatively low elevation and if you have drainage not designed right, surface water will pool on the tarmac after the rains. There are rules around this too. The UK Planning Portal sets out that new driveways over five square metres laid in non-permeable surfaces like standard tarmac need planning permission, unless the water is directed to a permeable area. We build every driveway to meet those rules from day one.We’re talking pools of water the full width of the drive. Then the water sits, works its way into the sub-surface and starts to destroy the edge of your driveway, and then the rest of the drive itself.
So what’s required to have a tarmac driveway in Ely that’ll last you? What you need for your tarmac driveway is:
At Champion Construction we’re Danny, a father and son team. We’re a small company based in Ely, serving all the surrounding villages. When we build a driveway, we know how much the sub-base matters for how long it will stand up to Fenland winters. If it’s built properly, tarmac is a great surface for the Fens. If it’s built incorrectly, that’s an issue that’ll cost you.
If you’d like to compare all our driveway options first, you can view our other driveway services.
I get asked all the time, “what’s the better choice for my property, tarmac or other driveway surfaces?”. My answer depends a lot on your property and the amount you want to spend, what you’re looking to achieve with the driveway. But we believe a tarmac driveway usually works well in Ely and the surrounding fens.
You need to keep in mind the local clay soil first and what it requires. There is movement in the soil here. It’s heavy clay beneath and a high water table in parts, combined with wet winters. That’s a tough combination for any driveway. You want a driveway that can flex a little if the ground moves, rather than something that’s too rigid and is prone to cracking. And tarmac can do just that.
Here’s what people are considering locally when making the choice between different types of driveway surface:
Tarmac sits pretty comfortably in the middle for all this. It can be laid down quickly, it’s tough, drains nicely with the right falls put in as we go along, and will then stay put with minimal maintenance for years.
So when you’re thinking about a properly laid driveway in Ely that’s going to be hassle-free and long-lasting, tarmac’s a common choice.
One more thing to remember is speed. You can usually lay a tarmac driveway and then use it almost as soon as that has been done compared to block paving or resin bound. That is useful to a lot of people around places like Littleport and Soham with their daily lives being less disrupted and the car no longer out of the way on the street for such a long time. Danny and his son know the value of that as the two men running Champion Construction.
If you’re not sure about the different surfacing options, call us on 07443 843610 and we can chat you through it all. We know the local rules inside out. Any planning permission applications in this part of the country go through East Cambridgeshire District Council, who manage permitted development for residential driveways across Ely and the surrounding villages.
So now to one of those sections you never see, yet one of the most critical parts for any tarmac driveway.
This is because a tarmac driveway is only as good as its base. We tell every client in Ely, if you don’t get the groundwork in place correctly there’s no point.
We might make a good job of your driveway’s surface on opening day. But if the groundwork underneath isn’t right, there’s no doubt that you’ll start noticing problems such as cracking or depressions within the year at the very latest.
The truth is this, here is what you should expect us to do when we’re preparing the grounds on your typical driveway around Stretham or Haddenham:
It is this layer that takes the load, which means if the driveway isn’t supported by the compaction it is unlikely that the driveway will perform properly under traffic. Tarmac laid directly on soil will fail and we do see driveways, particularly around Ely, that have tarmac that was laid direct on soil that have sunk next to the garage or crumbled at the edges of the driveway. We deal with Fenland clay a lot, so we know what it takes to deal with it properly. Sometimes that means a deeper sub-base. Sometimes it means installing a membrane to stop the clay pushing up through the stone.
Danny and his son run Champion Construction. They will be on site with you. You will not have someone sub-contracted to lay your driveway that has never seen your driveway before. They will check and prepare the ground before the work begins.
If you require a free quote to find out if your existing base is good enough, please contact Champion Construction on 07443 843610.
Speak to Champion Construction for a free quote on a properly prepared tarmac driveway in Ely, Cambridge or the surrounding villages.
Often we get asked what happens. We want to let you in on it. We will explain the tarmac installation step by step
Normally a standard driveway takes two to three days. We come across this nearly every week. A client has had an estimate from another company and we find that the sub-base has not been mentioned. That in itself is concerning. Danny and his son have been working on Champion Construction for a long time. There are no faceless subcontractors, no call centres. From the first telephone call to the installation, you always speak to the same person.
Do not just wonder what your driveway needs. Call Champion Construction now to get a free quote at 07443 843610.
A well laid tarmac driveway can last 15 to 20 years before having any work carried out. We have several tarmac driveways around Ely that are still in great condition after 25 years. The main difference between a long and a short life driveway is in the sub-base. We come across this nearly every week. A client calls us to find out why their driveway has started to crack. When we dig it up to check, the sub-base is either too thin or wasn’t compacted properly. The surface will be as good as the material that it sits on. We focus a lot on this before any tarmac goes down.
There are several factors that play into how long your tarmac driveway will last:
The winters in Ely can be quite wet, so these are the conditions that really test the life of a tarmac driveway. If it rains hard the water can seep into the driveway. If the driveway doesn’t have the correct falls and water is staying on the top of the tarmac, that is where you will start seeing damages. Properly installed the driveway will be graded and will drain the water away. It is the installation that goes wrong and shortcuts taken that lead to a shorter lifespan tarmac driveway and not the tarmac itself.
Danny and his son at Champion Construction don’t take shortcuts. They will get the driveway installed to a high quality. They don’t rush a driveway and leave before it is all done. They install the sub-base first and check it with levels and install the edges properly. This is how your driveway can stay on for years instead of getting someone back in 18 months for a tarmac driveway. We have had over 20, five-star Google reviews from clients from across Cambridgeshire, this tells us we are doing a great job.
A low-cost, traditional look that's quick to install.
A classic, durable finish with a huge range of colours and patterns.
A smooth, contemporary surface that's low-maintenance and fully permeable.
Common questions about tarmac driveways services in Ely
