Synthetic Grass, Decking or new Patio? Planning permission?

[DIYcenturion]

Hi
I am fed-up with my existing garden floor. Its an old, entirely concreted, and fairly small (6m x 4m) area and just looks ugly. There's a few small cracks here and there now too.

I want a new solution (not natural grass) for an area used mostly for recreation in the summer and wondered if you had any advice on the three alternatives mentioned in the subject line?

I would especially like to know is any advice on whether, for a new patio, decking or synthetic grass, I would:

- Need to remove the existing concrete floor?
- Need planning permission for whether work is done(its 100% of my garden - which is already 100% covered)?
- Need party wall agreements (which is why I hope I don't have to touch what is there already, if that makes a difference)
- Need to provide additional drainage/water run solutions (cutting channels in the existing concrete?).
- All other things being equal, which is the most expensive to buy/install?

Other potentially relevant facts:
- Its south facing but there is shade to the rear from overhanging lime trees
- I live on the first floor and access the garden via an external wooden staircase
-Its is surrounded on all four sides by brick walls. Three are garden walls, the fourth is the wall of my ground-floor neighbour's kitchen.

Basically, if I can get a decent solution that does not require removing the existing concrete, does not require party wall agreements and does not need planning permission - thats the one I would go for!

Thanks in advance for any advice...

 

[big-all]

if you garden is manly concrete then no planning or party wall agreement is needed providing your not fixing anything structural like decking

you can only deck/cover a maximum 50% off the garden but this is the origional foot print of the house when built or before 1948
any extentions sheds garages will eat into the 50%
and keep it below 300mm then you wont need planning

 

[DIYcenturion]

Thanks Big-All.
It would definitely be under 300mm. Just raised enough to accommodate joists and to be level.
Just to be clear then - even if the garden is currently 100% concrete, I can only cover 50% of it with decking without getting PP? And if I am not touching the party walls I can attach what I like to my concrete floor?
But, I imagine if I did dig-up the current concrete, which adjoins all the walls, I would need party wall agreements?
Basically if I can legally deck the whole thing without touching the concrete or speaking with the neighbours, thats what I would do!
Thanks.

 

[big-all]

you use mixed terms like garden and floor lol
if its outside its garden if its inside its floor
so assuming you in a garden with concrete which is not part off the walls foundation but possibly connected to it if its a concreted area
i do not know about synthetic grass but would suggest that the concrete removed would be the best situation by far as it will help the natural drainage
this may also help if you are trying for off street parking hard stand or your decking is forward off the front house elevation
you can only cover 50% off the origional foot print with all extentions sheds and garages counting towards the 50%

in other words if your house has 18% off the garden covered by sheds garages and extensions you can have a maximum 31% covered by sheds garages or decking

 

[bludger]

I've had quite a bit to do with synthetic grass, mainly about tennis courts. It is very good stuff if the right brand and type is selected and looked after.

Tennis courts are usually filled with a special sand which you wouldn't need to use. So you could look for one that doesn't need such infilling - I have seen adverts for synthetic grass designed to replace the real stuff in gardens.

A couple of things to bear in mind. The art grass material is porous as nobody wants puddles. This means that your concrete would have to have a fair degree of porosity too. Quite often the concrete has holes drilled in it which are then filled with fine gravel and this works well.

Check, too, just how even your concrete is and how much of a cushioning factor would be built in to the art grass. Assuming, that is, that you may want to lay on the stuff in the sun.