Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Dad is ordered to tear down kids’ playhouse
Petition fails after anonymous complaint was made
A Chapelhall father-of-two has lost the battle to keep his daughters’ much-loved playhouse after a “lowlife” complained to North Lanarkshire Council.
Brendan Burke, 27, has been ordered to take down the garden toy which his children Tilly-May, six, and Amelia-Rose, four, were given by their uncle in May.
The family had been ordered to submit a planning application in a bid to keep the playhouse in the front garden following an anonymous complaint.
After being given 28 days to make their case to the council, Brendan collected 1000 signatures in favour of keeping the structure, which he then submitted to the local authority.
Despite this support, Brendan received a letter from the council informing him the playhouse had to be taken down because it was deemed to be “too high”.
Brendan and his girls were devastated by the news but he says “there is no point” appealling the decision.
He said: “I’m gutted. It’s just so sad for the kids. I told them the news and they cried a bit.
“I have 10 days to appeal but feel there’s no point because at the end of the day I would have to take them to court and that would cost a fortune. “It’s more hassle than it’s worth. “I love my house so I wouldn’t want to ruin my tenancy agreement.
“I can’t even put it on my back garden because the way it’s designed it’s on a slope.”
Turning his ire on the person who made the initial complaint to the council, he said: “I think it’s just shocking. I don’t know who made the complaint but I think he or she is just a lowlife, jealous person.”
The garden playhouse meant kids from the neighbourhood came to play on it, rather than the nearby council-run playpark which Brendan insists is “unsafe”.
He added: “It’s a kids’ playhouse, it’s not even a party den.
”I’m just going to move it to one of the family houses so that the kids can play with it there because I do not want them to go to that park; it’s too unsafe.
“They didn’t even acknowledge my petition; they just said it’s too high but I find that funny nny considering I didn’t see anyone yone come and measure it.
“It’s all fixed with pins so it won’t fall. I’ll probably leave it out until they give me a date to take it down.”
A spokesman for Nor th Lanarkshire Council said: “Our tenant has been refused permission to keep the play facility in his front garden but we are working closely with him to find a more suitable location which would have less of an impact on people who live nearby.”
I love my house so I wouldn’t want to ruin my tenancy agreement Brendan Burke