Decking in Ormesby

Below: decking in Ormesby, from the houses and gardens to the clay, the beck, the hall's conservation area and the price.

The homes

Ormesby ward is mostly semis and detached houses. The 2021 Census recorded 49.7% of homes as semi-detached, 25.7% detached, 18.2% terraced and 5.8% flats. 74.5% of households own their home, 43.6% of them outright, and 13.8% rent from a social landlord.

Church Lane and Dew Lane run past St Cuthbert's Church towards the hall, and Ormesby Bank and Jubilee Bank are close by. Further out are Fairfield Avenue, Premier Road, Lilac Road and Laburnum Road, with Ormesby Primary School, Ormesby Library, the Methodist church and the Pied Piper pub serving the area.

Gardens vary with age. Older houses near the church and the High Street can have long, mature plots with hedges and trees. The semis on the estates usually have a lawn of moderate size and a side path, and some houses have a sloping garden. Each suits a different kind of deck, and the age of the house often decides which boards and colours look right against the brick.

Clay and Middle Beck

The British Geological Survey's 1:50,000 map shows till over the Jurassic Redcar Mudstone Formation here. Till is a stony glacial clay: firm enough to carry footings once you're below the topsoil, but slow-draining. A lawn can stay soft for days after rain. We set posts in concrete well below the soft layer and leave gravel and a membrane under the deck so water drains rather than pooling.

Middle Beck runs within 200 metres of the hall, and the Environment Agency's Flood Map for Planning shows four areas of Flood Zone 2 and 3 within 300 metres. If your garden is near the beck, check the map for your postcode. In a flood zone, an open, raised frame with deep footings lets water pass under the deck and dry out afterwards.

Where an older garden has mature trees, we keep footings clear of large roots and allow for leaf fall when choosing boards, since a grooved surface holds debris.

Planning in Ormesby

planning.data.gov.uk records the Ormesby Hall Conservation Area as designated on 16 March 1971. Ormesby Hall, with its outbuildings and screen walls, and the stable block north-east of it are both Grade I. Grade II listings nearby include St Cuthbert's Church, the Queen Victoria Jubilee Memorial, East Lodge, and 33 to 55 and 57 to 61 High Street.

Under the national rules on the Planning Portal, 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. Side decks in a conservation area need planning permission, and listed buildings have no permitted development allowance for decking.

Parts of the wider Ormesby area fall under Middlesbrough Council rather than Redcar and Cleveland, so we'll confirm which council covers your address if an application is needed.

Deck ideas for Ormesby

In a long, mature garden, a hardwood deck set under a tree, with a bench built round the trunk at a safe distance, makes a shaded retreat. Close to the house, a wider dining deck works well. On the estates, a deck the width of the house with a single step and lights in the edge keeps things simple.

Where the garden slopes up from the house, a split-level deck with two platforms joined by steps follows the ground and keeps both parts low. See timber decking, raised decking and balustrades, steps and lighting.

Ormesby is inland, well away from the salt spray that affects Coatham and Saltburn, so softwood and hardwood decks are easier to keep looking good here. Under trees, shade and leaf litter keep boards damp for longer, which is where algae starts. A board with a fine grip profile, a gap between boards for drainage, and a sweep and wash each spring keep a shaded deck safe underfoot. Composite with a capped surface is the lowest-maintenance option in deep shade.

Budget

We quote after a site visit. Size, height, board type, levels and steps, balustrades, lighting, tree roots and access all affect the price. Our decking costs guide explains how we price.

Around Ormesby

• Eston: a short way to the east.
• Guisborough: further east, a market town.
• Dormanstown: to the north-east, near Redcar.

Every place we cover is on the areas page.

FAQs about decking in Ormesby

Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044 and TS054, Ormesby ward (Nomis); planning.data.gov.uk: Ormesby Hall Conservation Area and listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer 1:50,000; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning; OpenStreetMap; Planning Portal: decking.