Thinking about a deck in Cockerton? Here's what we look at: the homes and gardens, the becks and the ground, the conservation area and the things that change the price.
Who lives here and what the gardens are like
Cockerton ward is a mix of owners and renters. The 2021 Census found 54.2% of households owning their home, 31.9% renting from the council or a housing association (27.7% from the council alone) and 13.8% renting privately. Homes are mainly semi-detached (53.0%) or terraced (26.3%), with 13.0% flats and 6.4% detached. Almost a third of households (31.8%) don't have a car.
Around the green, the older houses and cottages sit close to the road with gardens behind. Further out, roads such as Staindrop Road, Newton Lane, Swaledale Avenue, Lunedale Road and Archdeacon Crescent have semis and terraces with back gardens of a modest, family-friendly size. Several streets borrow the names of abbeys, among them Fountains View and Dryburgh View.
In a family garden, a deck has to be useful: a dry, level place for a table and the paddling pool, close enough to the kitchen that you can keep an eye on the children. Boards that won't splinter, a step that's easy for small legs, and no gaps big enough to lose toys through all matter. If you rent from the council or a housing association, you'll need their written permission before work starts.
Soil, becks and drainage
Two becks run through Cockerton. Cocker Beck and West Beck pass within a couple of hundred metres of the green, and the Environment Agency's Flood Map for Planning shows small areas of Flood Zone 2 and 3 nearby. If your garden backs onto either beck, check your postcode on the map before planning a deck.
The British Geological Survey's 1:50,000 map shows alluvium, a mix of clay, silt, sand and gravel left by the becks, at the centre of Cockerton, over Permian dolostone of the Ford Formation. Alluvium can be soft and hold water, so we dig test holes, take footings down to firm ground and set posts in concrete. Under the deck, the ground gets a slight fall, a membrane and gravel, so rainwater runs off instead of pooling. Near a beck, we keep the frame well clear of the ground so water can pass beneath it.
Rules and permissions in Cockerton
The Cockerton Village Conservation Area was designated on 21 March 1968, and the nearby West End Conservation Area the same year, according to planning.data.gov.uk. Darlington has 17 conservation areas in all. Listed buildings on Cockerton Green include numbers 19, 39, 43, 59 and 61, 63 to 67, 79, 80 and 82, 103 and 107 to 109 (all Grade II).
The Planning Portal's national rules say 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. In a conservation area, decking at the side of a house isn't permitted development. Listed buildings have no permitted development allowance for decking, and works affecting them may need listed building consent.
For most of the semis and terraces away from the green, a low rear deck needs no application. On the green itself, we'd check the listing and the boundary before drawing anything up.
Ideas for a Cockerton deck
For a semi or terrace, a single low level outside the back door is usually all that's needed: boards laid across the garden to make it feel wider, a broad step to the lawn and a built-in bench along the fence for extra seating. Composite boards don't splinter and need no staining, which suits busy families. Treated softwood is the lower-cost option if you're happy to re-treat it every couple of years.
Behind an older house on the green, a simple low deck in a natural wood tone, kept clear of the walls, sits well with the building. See our pages on composite decking and timber decking.
What affects the cost
We price every deck after a visit. Size, height, board choice, steps, guarding and lighting all play a part, along with how easy it is to get materials into the garden. On soft alluvium, footings may need to go deeper. Our decking costs guide explains each factor.
Close by
- Mowden: next door to the south-west, with owner-occupied semis around Mowden Hall.
- Hummersknott: to the south, where more than half of homes are detached.
- Harrowgate Hill: on the north side of Darlington, semis and detached homes on firm clay.
See every place we cover on our areas page.
Questions from parents in Cockerton
Which decking is safest for young children?
Composite or grooved hardwood, because neither splinters like old softwood can. We also keep steps shallow and even, and add a balustrade on any edge that's high enough to need one.
My garden backs onto Cocker Beck. Can we still have a deck?
Usually. Check the flood map first, then we'll design the frame to sit clear of the ground on deep footings so water can pass under it.
We rent from the council. What do we need?
Written permission from the council before any work starts. We can give you a drawing and a description of the deck to send.
Do we need planning permission?
Not usually for a low rear deck away from Cockerton Green. Decks over 30cm high, side decks in the conservation area and decks at listed buildings need checking.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, TS045 and TS054, Cockerton ward (Nomis); planning.data.gov.uk: Cockerton Village and West End conservation areas, listed buildings; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning; BGS Geology Viewer 1:50,000; OpenStreetMap; Planning Portal: decking.