Osmotherley has more planning rules than anywhere else we cover: it's in a National Park, a conservation area and full of listed buildings. Its stone cottages and hillside gardens also call for careful design. Here's what we check.
Houses in the village
The Census area (LSOA) that covers Osmotherley and the surrounding countryside is mostly detached. The 2021 Census counted 57% of homes as detached, 21% terraced, 20% semi-detached and 3% flats. 73% of households own their home and 21% rent privately. Car ownership is high: 60% of households have two or more cars or vans.
The village centres on North End, South End and West End, with School Lane, Back Lane, Grant Close, Clack Lane and Oswaldene nearby and Quarry Lane leading up towards the moor. Cod Beck runs about half a kilometre away.
Many houses are stone cottages in terraces along the main streets, with long, narrow gardens behind them, often walled and sometimes stepping up or down the slope. Larger detached houses on the edges of the village have more space, and some look out towards the hills. Access to the back of a terraced cottage can be through a narrow passage or a gate onto Back Lane.
The streets are narrow and can be busy with walkers and visitors, so we plan deliveries for quieter times and keep the van clear of the centre. Materials may need carrying by hand down passages, which we measure at the visit.
Ground and drainage
The British Geological Survey's 1:50,000 map shows Devensian glaciofluvial sand and gravel over mudstone, sandstone and ironstone of the Jurassic Cleveland Ironstone Formation. Sand and gravel drain well, so the ground under a deck stays dry, but it can be loose near the surface. We dig through to firm ground and set every post in concrete, and on sloping plots we add bracing.
The Environment Agency's Flood Map for Planning shows no Flood Zone 2 or 3 within 300 metres of the centre of Osmotherley.
Planning rules
Osmotherley is inside the North York Moors National Park, so the National Park Authority, not North Yorkshire Council, deals with planning applications. The Osmotherley Conservation Area was designated on 7 December 1977. planning.data.gov.uk lists 53 listed buildings within about a kilometre, including the Osmotherley Quaker Meeting House, the Queen Catherine Hotel, Osmotherley Bridge Millhouse, many houses on West End and North End, and tombs in St Peter's churchyard.
Under the Planning Portal's national rules, a deck is normally permitted development if it's no more than 30cm above the ground, covers no more than half the garden together with other extensions and outbuildings, and isn't in front of the house. In National Parks and conservation areas, no decking is permitted at the side of the house, and in a National Park any decking more than 20 metres from the house is limited to 10 square metres. Listed buildings have no permitted development allowance for decking at all.
With so many listed cottages, many Osmotherley decks need listed building consent or planning permission. We'll check your address at the visit and tell you what's needed. Our guide to rural and village gardens covers long and sloping plots.
Deck ideas
Behind a stone cottage, a low hardwood deck close to the house, oiled or left to weather to silver, looks right with old walls. Keep it simple, with a step down to the garden and planters built from the same boards.
On a sloping garden, a small deck at the top, reached by steps, can open up views of the hills. A painted timber or simple metal railing looks more at home in a moorland village than glass. See timber decking, raised decks and railings and lighting.
Pricing
We price after a visit. Size, height, board choice, steps, railings and access all matter. Carrying materials down narrow passages takes time, and planning drawings or listed building consent add cost where needed. Our decking costs guide explains each part.
Villages nearby
- Brompton: about 8km west.
- Appleton Wiske: about 10km north-west.
- Romanby: about 10.5km west.
Ingleby Arncliffe, Swainby and Thimbleby are covered too. See the villages page.
Questions people ask about decking in Osmotherley
Who handles planning in Osmotherley?
The North York Moors National Park Authority. We'll check what's needed before we design anything.
Is my cottage listed?
Many houses in the village are. We'll check your address on the national list.
Can I have a deck at the end of a long garden?
Yes, but in a National Park, decking more than 20 metres from the house is limited to 10 square metres without permission.
Which decking suits a stone cottage?
Hardwood usually looks best. We bring samples so you can see them against your walls.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, TS045 and TS054, LSOA Hambleton 003C (Nomis); planning.data.gov.uk: Osmotherley Conservation Area and listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer 1:50,000; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning; OpenStreetMap; Planning Portal: decking; North York Moors National Park Authority: planning.