Council forcing family to remove garden swing because they don't have PLANNING PERMISSION Swing installed in front garden of Deborah Kandlekar's home in Woking Her special needs daughter, eight, uses it to help her keep fit and healthy But Woking Borough Council has decided to issue an enforcement notice She now has just a month to remove the structure under terms of notice Action came because the swing was fixed to the ground and officers said this made it a development Deborah Kandlekar (pictured with her daughter Jasmine) has been told to remove the swing from her garden Council bosses are forcing the mother of a special needs child to remove a garden swing - because the family did not have planning permission. Woking Borough Council has decided to issue an enforcement notice because the swing had been fixed to the ground - which officers said made it a development. But mother-of-one Deborah Kandlekar, who lives in the house in Woking, Surrey, has hit out at the 'petty' move. She said: 'I think it's ridiculous and it's like they are being anti-children and anti-families. 'The rear of the property has no grass, it's staggered, it's got steps. The floor is covered with tiled slabs and it is not practical for a swing. The mother-of-one has an eight-year-old daughter called Jasmine who has special needs. She said: 'She needs to be active. She needs somewhere to play outside. There was ground pegs with postcrete [a blend of selected sand, cement and additives for fixing posts] in place but it can be broken up with a spade and no one can even see it. It's been outside for one year and now it's fixed with nothing.' In July 2013, a site visit was carried out in response to a complaint that a piece of play equipment had been located in the front garden, and the owner advised that it was temporary. On January 7 this year, the council received a further complaint that the toy was in the front garden and a letter was issued stating that if the swing was not fixed it could be considered to be temporary - but because it had been secured to the ground, it was classed as a development. A further house visit was made in March when officers saw anchor pegs and the cement had been used to secure the swing to the ground. During the council meeting on October 21, Councillor Liam Lyons asked for some common sense to be used. Cllr Lyons said: 'What we are talking about is a child's swing bought from Argos and as I understand it where it has been put would not constitute development if it had not been fixed in the ground with small cement footings, which is something the safety note which comes with the project advises to do.' The site is an end of terrace property which is set back from the main road and there is an open plan front garden. Woking Borough Council has decided to issue an enforcement notice because the swing had been fixed to the ground - which officers said made it a development Cllr Lyons said: 'I believe something as innocent as a child's swing is not out of keeping with the street scene, but is in fact the thing we should be seeing in a pleasant family orientated residential community.' However, the question of whether this structure would encourage other families to place swings in their front gardens was also raised. Horsell East and Woodham councillor, Anne Murray said: 'We are all thinking it seems a bit mean to ask them to take it down. Would it be alright if everybody had a swing in their front gardens, and that is what we need to be thinking about? Councillor for Knaphill, Saj Hussain added: 'You have got a swing today, a slide tomorrow and roundabout the day after. We need to take officers advice. The enforcement action was granted by six councillors and Miss Kandlekar now has a month to remove the swing.