Family told to take down teenage son's playhouse on stilts

Parents of a teenage boy have been ordered to dismantle his playhouse in a council clampdown on treehouses.

James Tolley, 13, of Pinner, has used the 5.45 metre-tall garden hut as a den for two years. But after a complaint from a neighbour the council has ordered it be taken down and has refused an application for retrospective planning permission.

His father, Neil, said today: "My son loves it. He's going to be very upset. I think the council has been spiteful."

Garden buildings require planning permission if they are more than four metres tall or cover more than half the garden.

Councillor Marilyn Ashton said Harrow would not allow large structures to be built in people's back gardens without approval.

She added: "Everyone remembers treehouses from their childhood but a treehouse earns that name by being in a tree - you can't build a large shed on stilts next to a tree and call it a treehouse. If these structures are big enough to overlook other properties, you can get complaints from neighbours. Everyone wants to enjoy the summer outside with their children and we can all do that by remembering a few common-sense rules."