Dad ordered to tear down summerhouse he built in memory of his dead son - 10 things you said...

A grieving father was left devastated after a housing association demanded he tear down a summerhouse he spent ten months building in memory of his son.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Bruce Clegg, 49, threw himself into the DIY project to cope with the death of son Nathaniel Hemingway-Clegg, 20, from type one diabetes complications.

The 16-square-metre wooden structure cost around £1,750 to build and sits in the back garden of his semi-detached council-owned house.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is kitted out with a bar named after Nathaniel and features family photos and his favourite Harry Potter memorabilia.

Bruce Clegg, 49, threw himself into the DIY project to cope with the death of son Nathaniel Hemingway-Clegg, 20, from type one diabetes complicationsBruce Clegg, 49, threw himself into the DIY project to cope with the death of son Nathaniel Hemingway-Clegg, 20, from type one diabetes complications
Bruce Clegg, 49, threw himself into the DIY project to cope with the death of son Nathaniel Hemingway-Clegg, 20, from type one diabetes complications

But a neighbour complained about "antisocial behaviour" prompting a site visit from Wakefield District Housing, and he was ordered to tear it down, piece by piece.

Here are 10 things you said about this story:

Tom TJ Jones: "Leave the poor man alone. He's lost enough."

Linda Dooley: "So sad leave it be it's not necessary to remove have some heart wont hurt to leave it be it's there for a purpose of a life time memories."

Paula Beckitt: "Absolutely ridiculous it’s not hurting anyone it’s truly pathetic."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bev Freeman: "Sorry to hear he has to take it down. Could he make a smaller memorial so his neighbours are happier. A bar seems to be the issue."

Andy Harris: "Having read the article it was declared unsafe and too close to fence otherwise I'm sure they would have just issued a nuisance order."

Mole Collins: "Leave the man alone with his thoughts, just for once show a bit of compassion."

Michael Taylor: "I'm not unsympathetic but if you will build on council property without their permission what do you expect? It's hardly like he's just erected a greenhouse."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jeff Holroyd: "That’s bars really neat, they should let him keep it."

Mandy Smith: "Unfortunately, as sad as it is, even if he owned his own property, he would need to abide by the planning permission/building regs of the local council. I would imagine that there are even more restrictions as the property is council or housing association owned- some have such severe restrictions you can’t even change internal doors or have to get permission to change kitchen cupboards, etc. Perhaps the people who did a site visit could advise him of the exact size and all the ins and outs that he would need to abide by to get a similar construction built in order to pass all the regulations."

Lynne Atkinsonwas Clappison: "It's an eyesore and a bar, so I'm assuming the anti social behaviour comes from people getting drunk and loud."

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.