Access protection markings (H bar)

An access protection marking (APM), also known as an H bar, is a white line on the road.

It shows drivers that there is an entrance, such as a driveway, and that they should keep it clear. These markings are advisory only.

They are usually used where an entrance is not obvious, such as outside a private driveway or business.

If your dropped kerb is blocked, see our dropped kerb page for more information.

Check if you can apply

You must meet all of the following:

• you live in Cheshire East and the road is a public highway (we cannot install markings on private roads)
• you have a dropped kerb to an off‑street area, such as a garage or private driveway
• there are no parking restrictions at the location (for example, yellow lines), as these can already be enforced

You must also show that the location is close to a place where people regularly park, such as shops, schools, churches or other places of worship.

We will not usually consider applications where parking problems are caused by neighbours or local residents.

Shared or multiple driveways

You can apply for a marking that covers more than one driveway, including shared driveways.
All affected properties must give written consent. You can submit this with one application.

What the marking will cover

The marking will only cover the full width of the dropped kerb, from one end to the other, and will not extend beyond it.

The marking will not:

• stop vehicles parking next to your access
• be extended to cover areas beyond the dropped kerb
• be used to prevent parking on the opposite side of the road
• be used to reserve on-street parking

Extending an existing marking

We will only consider extending an existing marking if the dropped kerb has also been extended and there are no parking restrictions within the new area.

Access protection marking (H bar) costs for 2026 to 2027

All charges are non-refundable and reviewed each year.

Access protection marking (H bar) costs for 2026 to 2027

Type of service	Description	Cost
New marking	Assessment	£104
	Installation (if approved)	£332
	Total (assessment and installation)	£436
Other charges	Repainting	£332
	Alteration assessment	£104
	Alteration installation (if approved)	£332
Aids to movement schemes	Assessment	£104
	Installation or replacement	£332
	Some requests	Full cost recovery

Apply for an H bar

To apply:

• download and complete the APM Application form (MS Word, 95KB)
  
• send the completed form to hbarapplications@cheshireeasthighways.org 
• make a payment using the Make a highways payment service

What happens next

We will assess your application after we receive it, and if it is approved you must pay for the work before we add the marking to our works programme. If it is not approved, the fee is not refunded.

We may decide not to install a marking if:

• it is unlikely to be effective, or
• it may cause problems in the local area

Do we need to add a timescale - or do we say we give you a time once paid and approved ??