Every child needs a break from the parents at some point – and vice versa – and what better place to escape to than high in the trees in an Enid Blyton-esque treehouse – but now that wholesome fun is set to get that little bit more complicated, with news that all tree houses will now need planning permission…
Being forced to apply for planning permission – at a cost of around £150, as well as having to draw up detailed plans and maps may well spell the end of the humble treehouse.
Once a beacon of family fun, the treehouse has been sucked into the world of red tape surrounding planning – and it may never recover.
Senior planning officers have confirmed that not only do homemade treehouses need full permission, but also flat-pack sets purchased from homeware shops.
The rules, which came into force at the end of last year, now mean that a cheap and fun project has been turned into an expensive and complicated hassle.
What is so odd about these new regulations is that, alongside their introduction came new rules to make it easier for homeowners to add extensions to their UK properties.
Thus, a treehouse now requires more planning permission and faffing around than a large extension to a loft or kitchen costing thousands of pounds may do.
Along with the rules governing treehouses, playhouses and large climbing frames that sit on the lawn are also affected by changes in the planning laws.
Any ‘raised platforms’ – which constitutes anything over the height of 30 cm – now needs planning permission.
Very few of the retailers selling these houses are aware of the rules or are advising their customers that permission is needed.
Thus, the vast majority of UK property owners remain in the dark about the new rules, which could land them in trouble should they install a treehouse without permission.
The reasons behind these new rules are to prevent any structures overlooking a neighbour’s garden and invading their privacy.
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