Terraces, villas and a green on the A19
The name Clifton comes from Old English clif, a gentle slope or riverbank, and tun, a settlement. The A19 runs north out of York straight through it, and the old village was made a conservation area in 1968. Clifton is also home to St Peter's School and the Nestlé factory.
Clifton Green is the focal point. On its north side is a row of early 19th-century cottages. On the east is 134–140 Clifton Green, a listed terrace of the 1870s, beside the Grade II church of St Philip and St James, built in 1866–67. The canopied horse trough on the green, dated 1883, is also listed.
The 2021 Census shows a tightly built area. The Clifton ward had 4,109 households: 48% in terraces, 21% in flats, 26% in semis and only 5% detached. A third of households (33%) had no car, and half of homes were owner-occupied. North of the green, the census area around Government House Road (LSOA York 007B, in Rawcliffe & Clifton Without ward) is a little more spacious, with 31% semis and 13% detached, though 28% of homes there are flats.
In Clifton, the possible jobs are usually:
- A single compact space in front of a terrace with a deeper-than-usual garden.
- A replacement drive on one of the larger villas or semis further north.
- Permeable surfaces that keep a front garden green-looking while taking a car.
- Rear parking off a back lane, where one exists.
Clay, silt and the River Ouse
The British Geological Survey maps central Clifton on the Alne Glaciolacustrine Formation, clay and silt laid down in a glacial lake, over Sherwood Sandstone. These soft, fine soils drain slowly and can move as they wet and dry. A Clifton drive needs:
- Soft topsoil and silt removed down to firm ground.
- A geotextile membrane to stop the sub-base sinking into the clay.
- A deeper compacted stone base than you would need on sand.
- Water directed to a permeable surface or a tested soakaway.
The Environment Agency's flood map shows 12 Flood Zone 2 areas and one Flood Zone 3 area within 300 metres of the census area, reflecting the Ouse floodplain to the west. If you are near the river, a permeable surface keeps water on your own land rather than adding to run-off.
Conservation rules and the main road
Clifton conservation area. In the conservation area, ask City of York Council's planning team before removing front walls, railings or gates, which are often part of what the council wants to keep. Listed buildings, including several around Clifton Green, need listed building consent for changes to their character.
Permitted development. Outside the conservation area, a permeable front drive on a house, or one draining to a border, needs no planning permission. Impermeable paving over five square metres draining to the road does.
The A19. City of York Council expects gates on A, B and C roads to be set back at least 6 metres from the highway, so a car can pull fully clear before the gate is opened. On a short frontage on Clifton itself, that can rule out gates altogether.
Crossing fees. York charges £263 for an approved crossing, £131.50 to improve an existing one and £63 if refused, all non-refundable. The council weighs safe access, traffic flow and the loss of on-street parking, and its decision is final. More on our dropped kerbs page.
Costs for a compact space
A single space in front of a Clifton terrace is often 12 to 15m². At Checkatrade's April 2026 UK averages for 15m²:
- Gravel in a grid: about £60 per m², roughly £900.
- Tarmac: about £90 per m², roughly £1,350.
- Block paving: about £100 per m², roughly £1,500.
- Resin bound: about £120 per m², roughly £1,800.
Small jobs cost more per square metre because the set-up is the same. Taking out a wall, the deeper sub-base needed on clay and the council fee all come on top. In the conservation area, clay pavers or resin over a permeable base usually look better than concrete blocks.
Neighbouring areas
- Driveways in Acomb: South-west across the railway, a suburb of semis with more drives.
- Driveways in Haxby: North beyond the ring road, a town of detached homes.
- Driveways in Heworth: East across the Foss, with interwar semis and wider frontages.
Options for a tight Clifton frontage: gravel, resin-bound, dropped kerbs.
All the areas we cover: Where we work.
Questions people ask in Clifton
Can I park in front of my Clifton terrace?
Only if the garden is deep enough for a car to sit clear of the pavement, usually about 5 metres. Many Clifton terraces are shallower. In the conservation area, check before removing the front wall.
Can I have gates on a drive off the A19?
City of York Council expects gates on A, B and C roads to be set back at least 6 metres so a car can pull off the road before opening them.
Is Clifton at risk of flooding?
Land towards the River Ouse is in mapped Flood Zones 2 and 3. Check your address on the Environment Agency's flood map and keep water on your own land.
What if York refuses my dropped kerb?
The council charges £63 for a refusal, and its decision is final with no appeal. Losing on-street parking or poor visibility are common reasons.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, Clifton ward and LSOA York 007B (TS044, TS045, TS054 via Nomis); Wikipedia: Clifton, York; 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).