Mother and father ordered to get planning permission for their children’s WENDY HOUSE

A baffled mother and father have been ordered to get planning permission – for their children’s WENDY HOUSE.

Doting Sarah and Andrew Brooker surprised their daughters by moving their playhouse into the garden.

But they were stunned when council chiefs told them they needed planning permission – because it is too tall.

The family must now secure retrospective permission for the nine foot high play house or tear it down.

Physiotherapist Mrs Booker, 30, blasted the decision because it has no impact on their neighbours.

She said: “It’s absolutely ridiculous There’s a summer house next door to it on the right which is a metre above it.

“There are trees behind it as well so the property at the back can’t even see it and it faces towards our house.”

Delighted Imogen, five, and Lucy, two, have curtains, carpet, a play kitchen, furniture in the fun shed and spend all their free time in there.

The Bookers moved into their new house in Sittingbourne, Kent, at the start of the year and took the toy.

But Mr Booker, 34, did not rebuild the structure at the bottom of their new garden until April.

They were then stunned to be told by Swale Borough Council the shed is 30cm too tall because it is within 2m of their boundary line.

The family were told to pay £180 to register for planning permission or remove the £2,500 shed

The paperwork was submitted to the local authority last week.

A spokeswoman for the council said: “Retrospective planning permission was submitted by the applicants due to the height of the construction which is greater in height than the max height of 2.5 metres allowed for outbuildings under permitted development rights within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwelling house.”