Most of what decides whether you need permission for a new deck or pergola comes down to a handful of measurements and a few local exceptions, not a long form. The four pages below answer the specific questions that come up most before Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch homeowners commit to a design.
If your situation does not fit any of them, the two guides linked at the bottom cover the general rules for decking and for pergolas, and a quick call is often the fastest way to get a straight answer for your own garden.
Do I need planning permission if any part of the deck is over 30 cm?
What decides the height limit, and why a sloped chine garden needs its own check.
Do decking permitted-development rights apply to my converted flat or maisonette?
Flats, listed properties and conservation areas, and where each one changes the answer.
Can a pergola be 2.5 metres high without planning permission?
The boundary-distance rule that decides whether a design is 2.5m, 3m or 4m.
Does fixing the pergola to the house mean it becomes an extension?
Why an attached design is judged as an extension, and what changes if a roof goes on later.
For the full rules on decking, see my decking planning permission guide. For pergolas and pagodas, see my pergola planning permission guide. If you would rather just ask, ring me on 07841 319560.