Family ordered to take down summerhouse

Andrew Causley has been ordered to take down his summerhouse in his garden in Exeter

A family has been ordered to remove a summerhouse from their garden by council planning officials.

Andrew Causley said he was "baffled" by the enforcement notice issued by Exeter City Council.

The summerhouse was installed to replace a children's playhouse that was about the same size and was in the same position in the garden in Alphington, on the edge of Exeter, for about 25 years.

The city council said it was unable to comment as the case was live.

Mr Causley said the playhouse that was previously in the same position was there for more than 20 years but had to be removed due to its age.

The council told Mr Causley a complaint had been made about the summerhouse in his front garden.

He put in a retrospective planning application for that structure and a second summerhouse in another part of the garden but was refused permission and has been ordered to take both structures down.

Mr Causley said: "When I get home from work, the only part of the garden that we still have in the sun is in the corner there."

He said the new summerhouse was "no bigger, no wider, no higher" than the previous playhouse and he and his wife could not understand why the council had refused permission.

In the enforcement notice, Exeter City Council told Mr Causley the summerhouses were "unsympathetic additions" that were "out of character with the existing building and the character and appearance of the street scene".

Mr Causley said he was particularly confused as most of the other gardens on his street had paved over their front gardens.

He said he had spent about £2,500 on dealing with the planning application, including taking professional advice, and imagined the council had spent far more.

"I suggest the money could have been far better spent elsewhere," he said.

The Devon County Council member for Alphington, Reform UK's Neil Stevens, is backing Mr Causley.

He criticised Exeter City Council's "heavy-handed approach" and claimed it showed a "lack of common sense".

He said: "They're harming nobody and all they want is a quiet life."