They're off their sheds


A mum has lashed “crazy” planners who told her to tear down her kids’ den.

Karen Maguire, 28, was reported by a neighbour after her brother built the wendy house for her daughters.Six weeks later she got a surprise visit from a planning officer – telling her it had to come down.

Karen, an ASDA checkout worker, told the Daily Star Sunday: “I thought it was some sort of TV spoof.“I even looked over his shoulder to see if there was a camera crew.”

But Wycombe District Council says the 3.2metre structure breaches rules brought in last year.A spokesman said: “Outbuildings that have a raised platform, veranda or balcony require planning permission, as do outbuildings that are within two metres of the boundary and more than 2.5 metres in height.”

The wendy house is in the garden of the three-bed semi she shares with her husband Steven, 30, in Stokenchurch, Bucks.It has a slide, swings, and a climbing wall for daughters Ashleigh and Leah.

Karen said: “Leah is only four, so she does not know what is happening. But Ashleigh is eight and is absolutely devastated.

“I took a walk yesterday to try and calm down and saw two huge houses with wendy houses in the back which were higher off the ground than ours.“I don’t see the council taking action against them. Are they saying that it is only OK to have a wendy house if you have a big posh home?”

The Tory-run council has now said it will reconsider if a retrospective planning application is put in.