A woman has been left distraught after her next-door neighbour built an enormous treehouse in his back garden which she says is ‘imposing’ and a ‘total eyesore’.
Mary, 82, claims the large wooden shed on stilts towers over her back garden in Barnet, North London, and peers directly into her bedroom window.
Speaking to MailOnline, the pensioner said: ‘It upset me really quite a lot when it first went up actually, and I tried to speak to him but I didn’t know who to turn to.
‘During Covid, we weren’t even sure we were going to survive so things like this were the least of the council’s concern and now it’s been forgotten about.’
Mary said she tried to communicate with her neighbour the old fashioned way – by voicing her concerns face-to-face over the garden fence.
‘I did complain when it was first going up around lockdown time but he didn’t pay any attention, in fact he was really quite dismissive.
‘It’s very annoying. It’s very imposing. It looks directly into my bedroom window, which worries me.’
Although the treehouse was built as a children’s playhouse – complete with a metal sliding pole, two swings and a wrap-around terrace – Mary is concerned about adults having a direct view into her house.
Tariq Khan, 57, built the treehouse during lockdown and insists it does not need planning permission because it is a temporary construction
The view from Mary’s back garden, who says the treehouse windows have a direct view into her bedroom
Mr Khan of TK Construction is a builder by trade and has been in the business since the age of 15, having learned his skills from his father
‘You don’t mind the kids so much because they’re playing but adults go up there as well. He said it was intended as a guest house or something similar. “Tom Sawyer’s treehouse” he calls it.’
Although not ‘all the time’, adults have frequently used the treehouse as a social spot, said Mary.
‘It’s very big and a total eyesore. I don’t want to cause any trouble between neighbours but I assume there have been quite a few complaints.
‘It massively reduces my privacy, I feel my garden isn’t my own – it takes away any pride you have in your garden.
‘It’s hard to know who to turn to in times like that. I wonder how he was allowed to put it up.’
Tariq Khan is the proud builder of ‘Sunshine View’ treehouse which was built, he said, to cure his lockdown boredom.
A builder by trade, he insisted that the structure did not require planning permission by virtue of the fact that it was made of wood and raised from the ground, arguing it was a ‘temporary construction’.
The 57-year-old said: ‘Everybody absolutely loves it. I’ve had nothing but praise from people walking past in the park, even five years later.
The 57-year-old said that neither neighbours nor council representatives had spoken to him about the treehouse, arguing instead that locals ‘absolutely love it’
Built for Mr Khan’s three children, the treehouse features a metal sliding pole, two swings and a wrap-around terrace
In England, treehouses are not automatically covered under permitted development rights if they are over 2.5m tall, have sleeping accommodations or a floor area of more than 15 sq m
‘My neighbours think it’s fantastic. It’s absolute news to me that people don’t like it because not one person has complained.’
Mr Khan said he and a friend built the treehouse for his three children.
‘As a youngster, I loved a treehouse. So, we did the fencing, did the decking, and we went for it.
‘People could have gone elsewhere – to councils or wherever. But I’ve had nothing but praise and admiration and positive talk about the treehouse. Not one person has told me any different.’
Mr Khan said that if he were to receive complaints now, he would take no action.
He explained: ‘My response would be “Why have you left it until now to come and tell me?” It’s a bit too late for that, isn’t it? The treehouse is there. It’s not going anywhere.
‘You know, some people, shy or not, just don’t like to see anyone doing that kind of thing – they’re envious. You could say they’re envious.
‘I would take that with a very little pinch of salt because otherwise I would have had people knocking on my door, from the council to people in the neighborhood.’
Mr Khan says that should he receive any complaints about the large wooden structure, he would take no action
People walking through the park behind Mr Khan’s garden are full of praise for the treehouse, stopping him to ask questions, he said
Mary, 82, was sceptical when the structure was being built during the first Covid lockdown but felt her concerns would not be prioritised amid national panic about the virus
Mr Khan, who owns construction company TK Construction, has been in the trade since the age of 15.
‘My dad started in the 80s. So, I’ve put up a hell of a lot of temporary constructions, like cabins, but this one is up in the air.
‘A temporary construction is where there are no bricks, no blocks, no foundation – anything like that.
‘No one has told me anything. Even up until now, you get the odd person that’s not used to coming to this park, walk past and stop, looking over the fence to kind of pull me in and ask me about it.
‘My neighbors are the ones who are important to me. That’s all I’m concerned about because I know them very well, especially the ones alongside me. They have given me great, great reviews.’
A Barnet Council spokesperson said: ‘We have not been made aware of this case and have no record of any complaints being made. However, now that this has been brought to our attention, we will investigate whether a breach of planning permission has occurred.’
