When is a step a deck?

[The Medway Handyman]

After October 08 putting up decking, or other raised platforms, in your garden is permitted development, not needing an application for planning permission, providing:

1) The decking is no more than 30cm above the ground

But what part of the deck?

Often people have a deck built after having a conservatory or extension built, typical photo here

(built Sep 07)

The deck under the door threshold is around 60cm off the ground, the part the tables & chairs are on probably 40cm and the step bottom right 20cm.

Any idea which part they would measure?

I will be asking my local planning dept, but wondered if anyone here had any ideas?

[Andrew Gabriel]

Gosh, I had no idea it ever needed permission. I can't imagine either of my neighbours did so. (Don't have any myself -- don't like it.)

[Frank Erskine]

Surely people don't STILL have decking 'installed'? It's so mid-c20.

I thought it went out with drinks bars in the corner of the lounge. And bean bags.

[The Medway Handyman]

Nope, still very popular. In fact I did a quote on my way home tonight, first of the year.

[PeterK]

I believe the law/regulation is :The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (No. 2) (England) Order 2008 and in that it interprets "raised" in relation to a platform means a platform with a height greater than 300 millimetres. I would think that a planning officer would require a retrospective planning application if there was a complaint from neighbours and any point on the platforms perimeter (I presume platform must take a dictionary definition and exclude rails etc.) is > 300mm above ground level. I think defining ground level is not simple eg put a raised flower bed round external perimeter. I have friends who built an extension to their engineering workshop and the submitted plans on which planning permission was granted showed the height of the building and the "level" of the pavement bordering the property. Despite exact conformance to the plans they were subsequently forced to reduce the height by 800mm.

Peter K