Overview

• Gwent Council initially argued that the 83cm-high decking exceeded permitted development limits and required retrospective planning permission.
• Planning officer Simon Pritchard found no evidence to challenge that the decking had been substantially complete for over four years.
• Gwent Council acknowledged that Google Earth imagery confirmed the decking’s presence since at least June 2018, making it immune from enforcement.
• A neighbour’s testimony further supported Leek’s case by confirming the structure was in place by 2019.
• The case underlines a wider trend of satellite imagery influencing planning disputes following a 2023 Dorset Council ruling against Colin Thomas.