Decking in Greatham

Greatham combines a listed village core with streets of family semis and a beck with flood zones beside it. Below: the homes, ground and water, permission, design and cost.

Houses and gardens

Greatham is in Fens & Greatham ward, which is two-thirds semi-detached. In the 2021 Census, 65.6% of homes were semis, 18.9% detached, 12.6% terraced and just 1.8% flats. 80.1% of households own their home, and more than half (51.0%) own it outright.

Front Street and High Street form the old centre, with West Row, Woodbine Terrace, Egerton Terrace and Vicarage Row close by and Station Road, The Drive, The Grove and Queensway leading out. The community centre, Greatham Church of England Primary School, the Church of St John the Baptist and the Hospital of God are all within a few minutes' walk. The village has its own parish council.

Older houses on Front Street often have boundary walls, several of them listed. The semis on the newer roads have regular lawns, usually fenced, with side access. Either works well for decking: a longer plot can take a deck by the house and another seating area further down, and a semi can swap an old patio for a level deck.

Across the ward, car ownership is fairly high: 27.9% of households have two cars or vans and 9.0% have three or more, which means driveways and side paths are often busy. We plan deliveries and skip positions around that, and agree where materials will be stored during the build so the drive stays usable. On a semi, most of the work can come down the side path without going through the house.

Ground and water

The British Geological Survey's 1:50,000 map shows till over Triassic Sherwood Sandstone. Till is a stiff, stony clay. It gives posts a solid hold below the topsoil but drains slowly, so we lay a membrane and gravel under the deck and keep the frame clear of the ground.

Greatham Beck is the bigger factor. The Environment Agency's Flood Map for Planning shows several areas of Flood Zone 2 and 3 within 300 metres of the village centre. If your garden is near the beck, check your postcode before planning. In a flood zone, we'd design an open frame on deep concrete footings, with no solid skirting, so floodwater can flow under the deck and drain away. Hardwood or composite boards and stainless fixings cope best with occasional soaking.

Permission

The Greatham Conservation Area covers the historic village; it's one of eight in Hartlepool listed on planning.data.gov.uk. Listed buildings include houses at 2, 4, 10 and 12, 16 and 18 Front Street, the boundary walls and gate piers at 2 and 6 Front Street, 5 High Street, Greatham House, Greatham Hospital and the Hospital Chapel, and Briarmead with its stable block (all Grade II).

The Planning Portal's national rules say a deck is normally permitted development if it's no more than 30cm above the ground and, with other extensions and outbuildings, covers no more than half the garden. In a conservation area, side decks need planning permission. Listed buildings have no permitted development allowance for decking, and work near a listed wall may need consent.

So for a Front Street house, we'd check the listing and boundary walls first and design a low, freestanding deck clear of them. On the newer roads, a low rear deck usually needs no application.

Designs that work here

Behind an older house, a hardwood deck by the back door with a gravel path to the far end keeps a traditional feel. Planting between the deck and the wall softens the edge.

On a semi, a composite deck the width of the house, with a wide step to the lawn and a built-in bench along the fence, is a straightforward upgrade. If your garden is in a flood zone, we keep the frame raised and open. See timber decking, composite decking and decking replacement.

Cost

We price after a visit. Size, height, board choice, footings, steps, lighting and access all matter, and flood-zone footings go deeper. Our pricing guide explains how a quote is put together.

Nearby

• Rossmere: about 2km north.
• Seaton Carew: about 4km north-east, on the coast.
• West Park: about 5km north.

See the areas page for the full list.

Questions answered about decking in Greatham

Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044 and TS054, Fens & Greatham ward (Nomis); planning.data.gov.uk: Greatham Conservation Area and listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer 1:50,000; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning; OpenStreetMap; Planning Portal: decking.