The planning portal website seems to make the rules quite clear, but lots of people just don't understand the reasons for having proper drainage into the subsoil.
Yes a concrete block driveway looks nice and no doubt increases the value of the house, although I gather that it is a very expensive option. And it can be made so that water drains through the gaps.
Ordinary tarmac is not a good idea,especially as it can go very soft in hot weather, particularly if it is laid by those rogues that knock on your door and say "we've got some tarmac left over from a job round the corner...."
Concrete paths or slabs can be laid with a nice gap between them to plant flowers etc., but then it might not be wide enough for your monster 4X4, which will probably be so heavy it will sink into the ground anyway.
And gravel must always have some sort of grille or trap to stop it spewing out over the pavement and roadway, causing a hazard to both walkers and cyclists: keep your gravel to yourself!