A Domesday village that became a suburb
Acomb lies on the western side of York, bordered by Holgate to the east, Clifton to the north and Woodthorpe to the south, with fields running out to the A1237 ring road. The original village is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. Acomb was part of the West Riding until it joined the City of York in 1934, and it grew from a farming village into one of the city's main residential districts.
The old centre survives around Front Street and The Green, with the library, the Methodist church, the Friends Meeting House and a run of shops. Around it spread streets of semis built from the 1930s onwards.
The 2021 Census shows just how dominated by semis Acomb is. The Acomb ward had 3,800 households: 68% lived in semi-detached houses, 13% in terraces, 11% in detached houses and 9% in flats. Some 74% of homes were owner-occupied. 35% of households had two or more cars or vans, and 18% had none.
Near Front Street the picture is denser. The census area by Gale Farm Court and Kingswood Grove (LSOA York 016E, in Westfield ward) was 48% terraced, with 27% of homes privately rented and 28% of households without a car.
What Acomb owners usually want:
- A second car space by widening a single drive across the front lawn.
- New block paving or tarmac over a cracked 1930s or 1950s concrete strip.
- Better drainage where water pools by the front door after heavy rain.
- A first drive for a terrace near Front Street where the garden is deep enough.
Moraine ground under Acomb
Acomb stands on the York Moraine, the ridge of material left by the ice sheet at the end of the last glaciation. The British Geological Survey describes the deposits here as a mix of clay, sand and gravel over Sherwood Sandstone. The mix varies from garden to garden. Some plots drain freely while others hold water in clay pockets.
For a lasting drive that means:
- dig to firm ground and remove any soft clay pockets,
- lay a membrane and at least 150mm of compacted crushed stone for vehicles,
- check how fast the ground drains before relying on a soakaway,
- keep the finished surface 150mm below the damp-proof course.
The Environment Agency's flood map shows one Flood Zone 2 and one Flood Zone 3 area within 300 metres of the Westfield census area. Most of Acomb is on higher ground, but check your own address before you start.
The conservation area and York's kerb rules
Acomb conservation area. The old village core is a conservation area. Around 15 listed buildings stand near the centre, including houses at 2, 16, 27 and 103 Front Street and 5 and 25 The Green, all Grade II. If you live there, ask City of York Council's planning team before removing front walls or railings.
Permitted development. Elsewhere, a new front drive on a house needs no planning permission if it is permeable or drains to a lawn or border. More than five square metres of impermeable surface draining to the road needs planning permission.
Dropped kerbs in York. You apply to City of York Council online. The fee is £263 if approved, £131.50 for an improvement to an existing crossing, and £63 if the council refuses, and none of it is refundable. The council's decision is final, with no appeal. If a parking bay has to be changed, the traffic order costs fall on you. See our dropped kerbs page.
Prices for an Acomb drive
Widening a single drive on a semi to take two cars usually means a total area of 30 to 35m². 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 |
Breaking out an old concrete drive, new edging and the council's crossing fee are on top. Widening a crossing may also cost more if utility covers or a gully sit in the footway.
Neighbouring areas
- Driveways in Dringhouses: South past Woodthorpe, with bigger detached homes on Tadcaster Road.
- Driveways in Clifton: North-east across the railway, with terraces and a historic green.
- Driveways in Heworth: Across the city, another suburb of interwar semis.
What Acomb homeowners ask about most: block paving, tarmac, dropped kerbs.
All the areas we cover: Where we work.
Questions people ask in Acomb
Is my Acomb house in the conservation area?
Only the historic village core around Front Street and The Green is. Most of the 1930s and later avenues are not. City of York Council can confirm a specific address.
How much is a dropped kerb in Acomb?
City of York Council charges £263 if approved, £131.50 to improve an existing crossing and £63 if refused. Construction is extra, and the decision is final.
Can I widen my drive across the whole front garden?
Usually, without planning permission, if the surface is permeable or drains to a border. A wider crossing needs the council's approval.
Why does water sit on my drive?
The moraine under Acomb includes clay pockets that drain slowly. A fall away from the house and a proper outlet, such as a soakaway or a permeable surface, usually fixes it.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, Acomb ward and LSOA York 016E (TS044, TS045, TS054 via Nomis); Wikipedia: Acomb, North Yorkshire; Planning Data: conservation areas and listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer, 1:50,000; Environment Agency flood map for planning; City of York Council: dropped kerbs and vehicle access; GOV.UK: permeable surfacing of front gardens; Checkatrade driveway cost guide (April 2026).