TELEVISION home and garden makeover programmes have a lot to answer for!

Kirklees Council planning officers are growing more and more concerned at suggestions made on lifestyle programmes.

The officials say the way in which the gardeners and designers put up gazebos, lay decking and, in some cases, build bizarre tunnels seemingly without even considering planning permission is giving people the wrong idea.

Planning officer Sally Brook said: "Alan Titchmarsh and others have a lot to answer for!

"My advice to anyone considering building any kind of construction would be to seek advice from your local planning authority first."

Her advice follows the continuing saga of Jeanette Delee, of Bouldergate, Marsden, who is having to apply for retrospective planning permission after installing wooden decking in her back garden, which overlooks Gatehead.

The decking was brought to the attention of planning officers by someone who complained about it.

Mrs Brook said planning permission was needed because the decking was considered to be a development.

And any development between a house and a highway needs planning permission.

She said that because the garden was graded or on a slope, one end of the decking was up to one-and-a-half metres off the ground.

Planning officers now have to calculate the volume of space between the decking and the garden.

"If the decking was laid directly on to the garden there would, hopefully, be no problem," said Mrs Brook.

Mrs Delee said she could not believe that Gatehead, a road previously used for horses and carts, was regarded as a highway.

In planning terms, a highway is regarded as anything from a footpath to a motorway, said Mrs Brook.

Mrs Delee said an architect has drawn up plans to submit to the planners.

She added: "Everybody says the decking is lovely and so many people have said they can't understand why I need permission. I had it put in because I have a pacemaker and can't work in the garden."

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