Cheap/easy surfacing for drive

That is certainly the modern trend, but it does depend on the area though... older towns often had combined sewers that were fed from both foul and surface drains.

Our previous place had separate sewers for foul and surface water.

Not just that, but several plots I know of around here used to be fairly wet and were drained before being sold on to builders. The hapless occupiers of the new, expensive houses have no idea what the land used to be like - at least they won't, until those drains block up, and that's almost guaranteed to happen some time. These weren't on what you would normally think of as a flood plain, being nowhere near a river or pond or other natural feature you'd be wary of - just flat land that was fed rainwater from nearby slightly higher land in times of heavy rainfall. Before the drainage, I passed the area many times after several days of heavy rain and would see the fields a foot deep in water. I wouldn't want to be living there.

We have gravel over tarmac hard standing in front of our house. I'd never have gravel again. The list of reasons why is very long ...