So the planning portal to my luddite brain, seems to be telling me that I can build a rear extension of 6 metres (8 metres if the house is detached) single story or 3 metres two storey, without a single ounce of bureaucratic interference, as it’s permitted development.

But if some decking, in the exact same location, goes over 30cm high….. then I need to seek planning permission.

Anyone got any experience?

Maybe it depends on how permement the decking is?
Pretty sure you you could rip most decking out like you could do a garden shed?

30cm is tighter than I remember (might be different here, Scotland) but there are definitely restrictions

Yeah you can rip it out at minimal cost compared to some home improvements…. but as far as I can make out, you wouldn’t have to rip it out, if it was a massive brick built kitchen extension…. or a conservatory…. but if some old scaff boards on some 4×2 is higher than 30cm??

I think it’s something to do with not overlooking neighbours.

Stops you building a platform to peer over the fence.

Any windows on the side of a house needs to be obscure glass for example. Backdoor on a previous house of ours was on the side. Had to have obscure glass.

I think it’s something to do with not overlooking neighbours.

Stops you building a platform to peer over the fence.

But I can look over all my neighbours from the security of my multi thousand pound two storey extension, that takes six months to build with blokes on scaffolding and power tools…??
And that doesn’t require any planning. 😉

Most decking ends up an eyesore.

I can understand why they want to limit it.

Could you start building a wood-framed extension and then pause once you’re a foot up, “intending” to complete the rest later?

Or, y’know, build 29.9cm high decking. Exactly how high in the air do you need a patio floor?

Any windows on the side of a house needs to be obscure glass for example. Backdoor on a previous house of ours was on the side. Had to have obscure glass.

Eh?

I thought that one of the fundamental features of doors (and a secondary feature of windows), their raison d’etre even, is that you could open them. Are you compelled to only be able to sit in your garden if you’re wearing blindfolds also?

I like the idea of building a shed and never quite completing it….. the floor just happens to be decking…

The thing for us is the drop away slope in the garden means any decking is going to be above 30cm by the time it’s a few cm from the back door.

I’m not used to this quote thing yet… I just quoted myself in the last post and plagiarised Mary Hinge…

So the question there is, “over 30cm high” measured from where? Lay three metres of soil and turf down first to elevate your garden, you could deck out the upstairs.

… silliness aside, I’m actually trying to make a serious point. How is that 30cm defined exactly? If it’s in relation to the house then you’re golden, if it’s relating to maximum height of supports then not so much.

Maybe his back garden is on quite a steep hill, so any decking would be more a platform on stilts than a wooden patio.

In that case a proper brick extension would be better though.

Dunno…

We got planning permission for decking (but not built yet) at the front of our house. As above the rock garden falls away and the far end of the decking would be about 7ft off the ground. Cost a bit (£400) but was piss easy to do. Thought it better be safe than sorry type of thing as it can be seen from the street. If this had been at the rear of the house, I probably wouldn’t have bothered. On the other hand a house we can see to the rear had a single story extension which took 3 months of building work and (AFAIK) there was no planning notices posted.
RM.

How is that 30cm defined exactly?

See here. All it says is “a height greater than 0.3 metres”.

It’s at the very end of Schedule 2 Part 1, under “interpretation of Part 1”. The way the rules are written, Schedule 2 Part 1 says you don’t need permission to make improvements to your house unless they on the list of things that are not allowed. And raised platforms are not allowed, without permission. And a raised platform is one with “a height greater than 0.3 metres”.

Further interpretation, if any, will be in case law.

Oooh, I’ve been plagiarised by stablebarns! I feel dirty now 😱

Cougar – side elevation re obscure glass. We looked in to moving the door and putting a window there. Would have to be obscure glass. Might have been that house sat slightly higher than neighbour, and proximity, but them was the rules.

Shirley if it’s designed to limit overlooking the fence, it’s a simple case* of measuring from the highest point rather than the lowest. So long as the adjoining fence is on the high side of the garden obvs.

* acknowledging that nothing with planning regs is ever “simple”

silliness aside, I’m actually trying to make a serious point. How is that 30cm defined exactly? If it’s in relation to the house then you’re golden, if it’s relating to maximum height of supports then not so much.

I’d imagine it’s due to most folks having fences around 6′ high, so decking 1′ high means overlooking peoples property.

Possibly wrong though.

The thing for us is the drop away slope in the garden means any decking is going to be above 30cm by the time it’s a few cm from the back door.

If it was interpreted the same way as sheds and outbuildings then it’s above the highest point of the ground. So if you build on a slope then you can build above the ground, you don’t need to dig into it.

this rule has been in place for yonks well over 10yrs.

I got done for building a platform outside my (raised) backdoor so the kids didnt kill themselves going outside down teh super steep concrete steps.

the planners agreed it was daft as everyone overlooked everyone else (hanover brighton if you know the areas) but accepted us trimming it back a bit and putting a screen up.

its all about overlooking and controlling rubbish decking that has no building control requirements.

Probably because 30cm is beyond the height of a single step and they want to have the opportunity to inspect your plans and build out to make sure that you have suitable guard rails in place to stop you falling to your death.

But yes, not having to get permission for a permanent structure is odd. Who makes sure that you are building something safe?

Don’t forget that if you need planning (for decking) then you’ll need building regs

Cougar – side elevation re obscure glass. We looked in to moving the door and putting a window there. Would have to be obscure glass. Might have been that house sat slightly higher than neighbour, and proximity, but them was the rules.

Huh, how odd. Every day’s a school day.

But yes, not having to get permission for a permanent structure is odd. Who makes sure that you are building something safe?

Building control and planning permission are two separate things. You still need to build it to the regs, submit to inspections and do all the structural calcs etc for an extension. You just don’t need permission to build it.

Eh?

I thought that one of the fundamental features of doors (and a secondary feature of windows), their raison d’etre even, is that you could open them. Are you compelled to only be able to sit in your garden if you’re wearing blindfolds also?

On the BACK of your house you can do what you like…
On the SIDES, you need planning permission for windows that open that are below 0.7m (or something like that), but under PDs can have non opening windows that are obscured. This is for loft conversions. Not sure you need planning if it’s a ground floor window/door on the side.

DrP

PD side windows should have no opening within 1.7m of floor level and should be obscure glazed.
If you don’t want to do this just apply for full planning consent