William Blake must be turning in his grave: England's green and pleasant land is in danger of being buried under a sea of concrete as householders pave over their front gardens to create off-street parking.

Change is on its way, however: householders are soon likely to require planning permission to pave their front gardens unless porous materials are used. The proposal is contained in the Government's water strategy, Future Water, currently out for consultation, but a spokesman for Defra said that the new rule was expected to take effect “later in the autumn”.

Darren Johnson, the chairman of the environment committee at the London Assembly, says he has been told that the change is to be introduced from October. He says that London has already lost green space equivalent to more than 22 Hyde Parks as a result of the trend to pave over front gardens, and welcomes the proposal.

Surface water run-off affected two thirds of the 55,000 homes flooded last summer; the damage was estimated at £3 billion. Government officials say that impermeable materials such as concrete and tarmac prevent rain from soaking into the soil, thereby encouraging run-off into gutters and drains and increasing the risk of flash floods.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said that the new requirement for permeable paving stones would help to lessen the risk of flooding. He added: “However, if local planning authorities decide that the risk of flooding is minimal in an area they can allow the use of impermeable paving.”

Turning your front garden into a car park also reduces the amount of parking left in the street for your neighbours: a dropped kerb typically removes one and a half to two roadside parking spaces, according to Leigh Hunt, principal horticultural advisor for the Royal Horticultural Society. As such it is a rather antisocial option. But if you are faced with punitive charges to park in your street or can never find a space, and decide that you must have your own private car park, here, at least, is how to keep it “green”:

1 The stately home look

Gravel is easily the cheapest permeable hard-landscaping material, costing from only £2 a sq m when bought in bulk. It also is arguably the most attractive option, other than grass. Leigh Hunt, who is an expert on the subject (rhs.org.uk/gardeningmatters), suggests spreading gravel as a mulch.

2 The brick option

Use permeable pavers such as Priora rather than traditional brick pavers. They are roughly comparable in price but the former, which cost from £15 a sq m at Marshalls (marshalls.co.uk), allow water to penetrate between the cracks. Pavers need to be laid on compacted aggregate so that the water can drain freely - an additional cost.

3 The cellular option

Matrix pavers, or cellular paving, are hexagonal cells made from recycled plastic that you fill with an aggregate, such as resin-bonded gravel. It costs from about £60 a sq m for Addastone Matrix paving if you lay it yourself, or £100 a sq m if laid by professionals (addagrip.co.uk). This compares with an average of about £46 per sq m to lay tarmac, including labour.

4 The green option

Grass reinforcement products are pretty simple to lay, and stop your lawn turning into the Somme. Netlon (netlon.com) costs from about £17 a sq m. If it's likely to get a lot of use, it may need a proper sub-base.

5 Think hardcore

If you put hardcore beneath the gravel where the wheels will go, it will stop your car sinking. This is more important for light, sandy soils than clay. Alternatively, put down two tracks of paving stones to take the car wheels, and plant between them.

6 Take cover

Use a membrane under the gravel to stop weeds growing through, and cut holes for “planting pockets”, ensuring that there is sufficient soil in them for the plants.

7 Keep it low...

Tough low-growing plants that will survive if you reverse over them occasionally are best. Try creeping jenny, bugle and thyme (fragrant when accidentally crushed), and also Acaena “blue haze” and Helianthemum (rock roses). All will fare better if you move your car regularly rather than leave it parked over plants for days.

8 ...and high

Build a pergola over your car, then use climbers to hide it. Leigh Hunt suggests an evergreen clematis, Armandii, that has slightly scented white flowers; Akebia, a plum-coloured vine smelling of chocolate; honeysuckle; passionflower; or Mile-a-Minute (Fallopia) if you really want to cover it in a hurry.

9 Not convinced?

Consider this: non-porous materials increase peak rainwater run-off by an estimated 50 per cent. Concreting over your front lawn prevents water soaking into the ground, drying out the soil; if the latter is clay, and shrinks, this can cause subsidence. The final reckoning

10 Add value

Adding an off-street parking space can add at least £50,000 to the price of a £750,000 house in Clapham, says Ed Mead, director of Douglas & Gordon estate agents in Central London. “Moreover, in this market, it could make the difference between selling it or not selling it.”

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