Hart mixes old village cottages with modern family homes, all with farmland on the doorstep. This page explains how that affects a deck: the homes, the ground, permission and cost.
Houses and gardens
Hart ward is mainly detached and semi-detached. The 2021 Census counted 43.1% of homes as detached, 32.1% semi-detached, 13.3% terraced and 10.5% flats. 76.4% of households own their home, and 45.0% are buying with a mortgage.
Front Street is the old heart of the village, with the White Hart Inn, the Raby Arms, the village hall and St Mary Magdalene Church along it. Magdalene Drive, Voltigeur Drive, Hart Pastures, The Darlings and Butts Lane lead off, and Hart Primary School sits among the newer houses. The village has its own parish council, and medieval fish ponds and the ruined Brus Wall are reminders of its long past.
Cottages on Front Street can have long, narrow plots. The newer houses have more regular gardens, some backing onto fields. Those field edges bring views and evening light, but also wind with little to break it, so the position and shelter of a deck need some thought.
Car ownership in the ward is high, with 34.5% of households owning two cars or vans and 10.9% three or more, so most homes have a drive. That usually makes deliveries straightforward: boards and frame timber can be stacked on the drive and carried round the side. For cottages on Front Street with no side access, materials come through the house, and we protect floors and doorways as we go.
What's underfoot
The British Geological Survey's 1:50,000 map shows hummocky glacial deposits, a mix of clay, sand and gravel, over Permian dolostone of the Roker Formation. Because the mix changes over short distances, one corner of a garden can drain well while another holds water. We dig a test hole at each footing and adjust depth accordingly, setting every post in concrete.
The Environment Agency's Flood Map for Planning shows no Flood Zone 2 or 3 within 300 metres of the village centre, so river flooding isn't a concern.
Garden edges near fields can be uneven or slope away. A deck with adjustable footings can level that out without heavy groundwork.
Permission
planning.data.gov.uk shows no conservation area in Hart, but there are listed buildings: the Church of St Mary Magdalene is Grade I, the boundary wall to its west is Grade II*, and Home Farmhouse and Farm Cottage, Voltigeur Cottage, Clevecote, the Brus Wall and Hart Windmill are Grade II.
For other homes, the Planning Portal's national rules apply. 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. Higher decks need planning permission. At a listed building, there's no permitted development allowance for decking.
Newer estates sometimes had permitted development rights restricted when they were approved, so it's worth checking your property's planning history before building.
Designs that work here
For a garden that looks over fields, a deck positioned for the evening sun with a glass or slatted screen on the windward side gives you the view without the draught. A corner bench and a pergola add shelter. Composite boards in a mid-brown blend well with the countryside.
For a cottage plot, a low hardwood deck near the house and a gravel path down the garden keep the character. See timber decking, composite decking and our windy gardens guide.
A village has darker evenings than town, with fewer street lights, so low-level lighting set into steps and the deck edge is worth planning in from the start, when the cable can run inside the frame. Wind off open fields also carries dust, seeds and leaves, so a board with narrow grooves or a smooth capped surface is easier to sweep. Timber decks need an oil every year or two to keep their colour; composite only needs a wash.
Cost
We price after a visit. Size, height, board choice, screens, lighting, ground conditions and access all matter. Most newer houses have side access. Our pricing guide explains how quotes are built up.
Nearby
- Throston: about 2km south-east, on the edge of town.
- Elwick: about 3km south-west.
- West Park: about 3km south-east.
See the areas page for everywhere we cover.
Questions answered about decking in Hart
Is Hart in a conservation area?
No. Only listed buildings, such as the church and some cottages, need extra checks.
My garden backs onto fields. How do you deal with the wind?
We place the deck to make the most of shelter and add screens fixed to strong posts on the windward side.
Is the ground good for decking?
It varies. We test each footing position and set posts deeper where needed.
Can you build a deck at a listed cottage?
Possibly, but it needs listed building consent checks first. We'll advise on a low, freestanding design.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044 and TS054, Hart ward (Nomis); planning.data.gov.uk: listed buildings and conservation areas; BGS Geology Viewer 1:50,000; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning; OpenStreetMap; Planning Portal: decking.