Do You Need Planning Permission for Decking in Bournemouth?

Do you need planning permission for decking?

For most houses, no. The Planning Portal says a deck counts as permitted development, so no application is needed, as long as all three of these are true:

• It's low: the decking is no more than 30cm above the ground.
• It leaves half the garden free: together with any extensions, sheds and other outbuildings, decking covers no more than 50% of the garden area.
• It's not at the front: no part of it sits forward of the wall that forms the front (principal elevation) of the house.

If any one of those fails, the deck needs planning permission. In Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch the application goes to BCP Council. A few addresses at the edge of the area I cover sit under a different council: Ferndown and Wimborne come under Dorset Council, and Bransgore under New Forest District Council.

How is the 30cm measured on a sloping garden?

This is the question to settle first on a sloping garden. A deck that sits level with the back door can be well above the ground at the far end where the garden drops away, and plenty of gardens near the Alum, Durley and Boscombe chines slope like that.

The government's permitted development guidance measures height from ground level. It says ground level "would not include any addition laid on top of the ground such as decking", and that where the ground slopes, ground level is "the highest part of the surface of the ground next to the building". It doesn't deal with a deck on a slope directly, so if your deck will be more than 30cm above the ground at any point, get BCP Council's view in writing, or a lawful development certificate, before you build. I've gone through the slope rules step by step in do I need planning permission if any part of the deck is over 30cm?

Do flats and maisonettes need planning permission for decking?

Yes. The Planning Portal is clear that permitted development rules don't apply to flats, maisonettes or converted houses. If your home is a flat, including a house split into flats, plan on a planning application from the start, even for a low deck flat on the lawn.

Westbourne in particular has a lot of converted Victorian flats, so it's worth checking before anything gets ordered. More on this in do permitted development rights apply to my converted flat?

Related: raised decking on a sloping garden

Does a conservation area change the rules?

It can. BCP Council lists 48 conservation areas across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. In Bournemouth they include Westbourne, Meyrick Park and Talbot Woods, West Cliff and Poole Hill, Boscombe Manor and Southbourne Grove. The council says the minor work you can do without planning permission is more limited inside a conservation area than elsewhere.

For decking the main extra rule is the side of the house. Conservation areas count as "Article 2(3) land" (GOV.UK guidance), and on that land the Planning Portal says no decking or platform is permitted either side of the house without permission. A low deck at the back usually stays within the normal rules.

One more thing to check. A council can remove permitted development rights in a whole area with an Article 4 Direction, or a planning condition on your house may have removed them already. The government guidance says to check with the council before you build if you're not sure.

What about listed buildings?

If your house is listed, permitted development doesn't cover decking at all. The Planning Portal says that within the curtilage (the garden and grounds) of a listed building, no decking or platform is permitted without an application. Talk to BCP Council before anything is designed.

Does it matter if there's a tree near the deck?

Yes, if the tree is protected. The government's tree guidance treats cutting the roots of a tree with a Tree Preservation Order as work that needs the council's consent, and permitted development doesn't get you round that. Most trees in conservation areas need six weeks' notice to the council before work. You can check for protected trees on BCP Council’s TPO map. I've written more on this in building near protected trees.

Does decking need building regulations approval?

The Planning Portal says building regulations "should be assumed to apply to every deck structure requiring planning permission". So if your deck needs planning permission, expect building control to be involved too. If you're unsure, BCP Council's building control team can tell you.

How can I be certain before I build?

You can apply to the council for a lawful development certificate. The government guidance describes it as the way "to be certain that a proposed development is lawful and does not require an application for planning permission". It's optional, but it's useful if you're close to a limit or selling the house later.

When I come out to quote, I measure the height against your actual ground and go through these points with you before anything gets drawn. If your deck needs an application, I'll tell you that up front, before you've spent anything.

Before you book anyone, check:

• Height: is any part of the deck more than 30cm above the ground, including the low end of a slope?
• Your home: is it a flat, maisonette, converted house or listed building?
• Your area: is it in one of BCP's conservation areas, and is the deck at the side of the house?
• Trees: is there a protected tree near where the posts go? Check the TPO map.

Where these rules come from: Planning Portal, decking: planning permission · Planning Portal, decking: building regulations · GOV.UK, Permitted development rights for householders: technical guidance · GOV.UK, Tree Preservation Orders and trees in conservation areas · BCP Council, conservation areas · BCP Council, Tree Preservation Orders. Checked October 2026. Rules change, so treat this as a guide and check your own address with BCP Council before you build.