A homeowner on a prestigious Hertfordshire estate has been ordered to demolish a towering, Harry Potter-themed treehouse after a bitter planning dispute with neighbours erupted over its "overbearing" presence.
A Whimsical Build Sparks Outrage
Gemma Raval constructed the elaborate 6.5-metre-high fantasy playhouse in the garden of her £1.2 million gated home in the affluent hamlet of Rabley Heath. Designed as a magical castle for her daughter, it featured a conical turret, a rope bridge, a slide, and even engravings of spells like 'expelliarmus' on a ladder.
However, the whimsical structure, built last year without planning permission, quickly enchanted the wrong audience. Neighbours living in a £1.1 million period home next door branded it an oppressive blight on their views, complaining they were never consulted before it appeared just 17 inches from their boundary fence.
Neighbours' Peace Shattered by "Imposing" Structure
One neighbour, who has lived at the property for 25 years, told of her relief at the demolition order. "I can have a merry Christmas now," she said, explaining the treehouse dominated the view from all her back windows and impacted time spent with her grandchildren and horse in the garden.
In official objections to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, the neighbours stated: "The view from every window to our back garden is dominated by this building... It has spoilt the outlook." They emphasised they had not objected to Ms Raval's previous additions like a swimming pool and orangery, but the sheer scale and proximity of the treehouse was a step too far.
Planning Inspector Casts the Final Decision
After the council refused retrospective planning permission and issued an enforcement notice, Ms Raval launched an appeal. Planning inspector Andrew Walker visited the site and dismissed the appeal. He noted the structure was "neither built in a tree or supported by one" but was a significant building on stilts.
He concluded its bulk and height created an "oppressive presence" that undermined the neighbours' enjoyment of their garden. "There are no conditions which would make the development acceptable," he ruled, ordering demolition within two months.
Ms Raval's agents had argued the treehouse was of excellent design and proposed screening with trees and a high fence, but planners found this insufficient to mask its dominance. The saga ends with a final spell for demolition on the leafy millionaire's row.
