Rules fail to bring down tree-house tradition (From The Argus)

Rules fail to bring down tree-house tradition

6:06am Wednesday 24th October 2007 in News

Robinson Crusoe had one and set designers built a whole city of them in the film version of Tolkien's classic The Lord Of The Rings.

Now the tree-house is making a comeback in gardens across Sussex. But the fairy tale dream of a magical lookout perched high above the rooftops is not as easy to attain as some would think.

Jessica Bauldry looks at the highs and lows of building a tree-house in Sussex.

It was meant to be a simple playhouse for his children to escape the trappings of television and pursue adventures in the trees.

But when father of two Julian Weatherly proudly hammered in the last nail of the tree-house he built in March 2005, he had no idea it would start an 18-month wrangle with the council.

Within days of its completion he was contacted by Mid Sussex District Council planning officers, who had received complaints about an unneighbourly structure, described by one councillor as a "gun tower", in his garden.

Unbeknown to Mr Weatherly, the construction perched in an apple tree in his one-acre garden in Keymer Road, Burgess Hill, had breached planning rules.

Mr Weatherly was furious because he had already checked that his plans were permitted with the local authority before going ahead.

He said: "The council said I was allowed to build anything up to four metres in height.

"But what they forgot to tell me was that this includes the space below."

It turned out the tree-house was 4.1m off the ground, just 10cm above the permitted height.

Although he lowered the structure until it was only 1.2mm outside the required height, the council pressed for him to dismantle the tree-house, at one point threatening prosecution.

Mr Weatherly added: "At that point I thought, is this worth all the effort?' I was working abroad at the time and coming home once a month. My wife was bearing the brunt of the hostilities. Then at the 11th hour the council changed their minds."

While his children are delighted their cherished tree-house is here to stay, Mr Weatherly was astonished by the lengthy process it had taken to confirm the construction could stay.

He said: "They've called council meetings and I've had the council round. It must have cost a fortune and that's all picked up by taxpayers. Is this really what council tax payers want to spend their money on?"

But Mr Weatherly is not the only person to be caught out by the pitfalls of building a tree-house.

Father of three Steven Mooney, who owns Mooney Machinery in Burgess Hill, discovered the planning process could be just as complex as that involved in building a house when he attempted to construct a tree-house for his three children.

The businessman, expected to have the project in his garden in Folders Lane, Burgess Hill, completed before the summer. But it was halted halfway through when the planning department at Mid Sussex District Council put its foot down.

Mr Mooney said: "We wanted it to be the sort of place you could go to sit and read, or hang out in.

"We wanted something special for our kids so they could grow up and reflect on their childhood and remember this tree-house. At this rate, by the time it's finished the kids will be too old to play in it."

Work began in early 2006 when Mr Mooney, 47, had a tree preservation order removed from a rotting oak tree in his garden. The tree surgeon who carried out the work suggested the family construct a children's play house on the oak's base.

The council asked him to apply for planning permission and Mr Mooney submitted an application. But despite it being recommended for approval, the application was thrown out because councillors did not know the preservation order had been lifted.

Mr Mooney added: "One councillor said we had butchered a tree for our spoilt children's pleasure."

Eighteen months on and after spending £2,000 on the planning process the family is appealing against the decision.

But the magic of tree-houses has not been entirely crushed by planning guidelines.

Brothers Andy and Simon Payne, who run bespoke tree-house construction firm Blue Forest Treehouses, rely on being able to navigate the complexities of planning guidelines to keep their business afloat.

The company, based in Wadhurst, has designed and built about 50 imaginative tree-houses in the county.

Designs range from simple dens to classrooms and homes, complete with toilets, showers, kitchens and home cinemas. They are also responsible for the guest room at Amberley Castle, near Arundel.

Simon said: "About half our tree-houses are actually made for adult use. They give you that feeling of doing something adventurous and being close to nature."

Do you have a tree-house of have you got happy memories of one? Tell us below