Summary
At one time, headline- grabbing neighbour disputes revolved around noise, ugly extensions and overgrown Leylandii hedges. But into this minefield, a new source of strife has emerged. The humble playhouse has become a regular offender on the planning authorities' hitlist. Last week, Colin and Margaret Jackson of Tewkesbury learned that they could face court for refusing to demolish their son's playhouse. While the local council said it didn't fit in with the "appealing street scene", Mrs Jackson said her nine-year-old son was "gutted" that his hideout may have to be demolished. But this was no mere Wendy House, having been constructed in the style of an army barracks complete with green paint, camouflage net, corrugated roof and measuring 10ft wide. Just last month, John Prescott ordered an 11-year-old's tree house to be demolished, as it had been built without planning permission.
Whether created from cardboard boxes, a few planks of wood up a tree or even a commandeered garden shed, the playhouse is as much a part of childhood as teddy bears or jelly and ice-cream. Affording children privacy and a place where imagination can run riot, the structure may be a picture of domestic bliss, complete with tables, chairs and pictures on the walls, or have a more rugged outdoors appeal - the treehouse that doubles up as a pirate ship, jungle hideaway or soldier's lookout post. If the shed is a man's sanctuary, the playhouse is the childhood equivalent.See the full content of this document
Extract
When a Treehouse Is a Home
Although the plastic Wendy House much-loved in the 1970s still exists, it has been eclipsed by some of its competitors. Take the Children's Cottage Company (www.play-houses.com, 01363 772061). Founded in Devon in ...
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