A Royal Mail HGV driver from Exeter has been ordered to demolish a summer house from his garden following an 18-month planning battle that started when a neighbour objected to the structure.
The Beginning of a Costly Dispute
Andrew Causley, 59, and his wife Julie, 60, built the wooden summer house to replace a children's playhouse that had stood in the same corner of their garden for 25 years. The original Wendy House had begun to leak, prompting the couple to invest thousands of pounds in a new structure they described as an 'old cottage design'.
The couple believed the project was a straightforward replacement, using the same concrete base and maintaining the same footprint as the previous playhouse. They were left 'baffled' when Exeter City Council served them with an enforcement notice demanding its removal.
Neighbour's Objection and Council's Stance
The complaint came from their neighbour of 35 years, former Exeter City councillor Stephen Warwick. Mr Causley recounted that Mr Warwick had initially approached them on Easter Sunday 2024, advising that planning permission might be needed. Despite what the couple believed was a cordial relationship spanning decades, Mr Warwick subsequently filed a formal objection with the council.
In his submission, Mr Warwick claimed the new structure and others had 'caused loss of vegetation' along their boundary, forcing him to gravel a section of his own garden. He stated he had 'made it plain' to the Causleys that he had no authority to grant permission and that they should contact planning officers directly.
Exeter City Council refused the retrospective planning application, deeming the summer house 'out of character' with the house and 'inconsistent with the street scene'. The council has declined to comment, citing an 'active' case.
A Fight Against 'Heavy-Handed' Bureaucracy
The Causleys are now appealing the enforcement notice, a process that has already cost them around £3,000. They believe the council has spent even more public money pursuing the case, which Mr Causley claims is the first enforcement notice served by Exeter City Council in three years.
'This is absolutely over the top, heavy-handed bureaucracy,' said Mr Causley. 'They have dished out maximum punishment, and we are the only people in three years to face that from Exeter City Council. For a little summer house in a garden.'
The couple emphasised that the structure is barely visible from the street and argued they have tried to find a compromise. 'We asked if there was anything we could do. Could we change the design to come to an amicable agreement? But it was just 'the neighbour doesn't like it, we don't want to discuss it,'' Mr Causley explained.
Julie Causley highlighted the irony that planning permission would likely be granted if they wanted to replace their garden with car parking, yet they are forbidden from keeping a 'little wooden structure' that provides a haven for wildlife.
The couple have vowed to continue their fight, with Andrew stating, 'We will take it as far as we can. If we have to go to court we will and fight it all the way. It is just baffling how this could end up getting so far.'
