*Steven Swinford, Political Editor | Emma Yeomans, June 25 2022, The Times*
Boris Johnson planned to build a £150,000 treehouse in the grounds of Chequers but was forced to abandon the idea after the police raised security concerns.
The Times has been told that the prime minister and his wife Carrie wanted to build the treehouse at the country retreat in autumn 2020 for their son Wilf.
Two sources said that there were discussions about having Lord Brownlow, a Tory donor, fund the project and plans for the treehouse were drawn up.
The project was ditched after the prime minister’s close protection officers warned of a security risk because the treehouse would be visible from the road. This was despite the design including bulletproof glass, which increased the cost of the project significantly. The couple decided against pursuing the plans after the advice of the police.
No 10 aides raised concerns about the cost of the project and the fact that it would have been more expensive than buying a house in many parts of the country. “He was told it would look terrible,” a government source said.
There were also concerns about the prime minister accepting such a significant donation and whether it would represent a conflict of interest.
It was unclear whether the Chequers Trust, the body which runs the house, would have accepted the plans as many trees in the grounds are protected.
Brownlow did not respond to requests for comment. A government spokesman said: “We do not comment on private or family matters which do not involve any ministerial declarations or taxpayer funds.”
Brownlow was previously embroiled in the scandal over the refurbishment of Johnson’s Downing Street flat.
Shortly after entering Downing Street in 2019 the prime minister and his wife embarked on a significant makeover of the flat above No 11.
Brownlow committed £112,000 towards the refurbishment, including £52,000 which was paid to the Conservative Party and £60,000 to Soane Britain, for refurbishments carried out by Lulu Lytle, the designer.
The electoral commission found that the party had broken the law by failing to disclose some of the donation. The party was fined and Johnson subsequently repaid the money.
Details of the treehouse are not known but it was said to have been an “extensive” project.
Luxury treehouses can include rope bridges, zip wires and adventure areas for children; some have hot tubs and even yoga studios.
At Blue Forest, a luxury treehouse designer, play houses for children start at about £90,000 and go up to “whatever you want to pay”, Caryn Mitten, the company’s marketing director, said. Some clients build them to let out as Airbnbs.
Mitten’s favourite feature is the Narnia wardrobe. “It’s an old-fashioned wardrobe which you open up, and inside is a lot of old fur coats. Then behind is a hobbit-hole door which is a secret entrance to a slide. That’s very popular as an add-on. It looks like a wardrobe but it’s actually a slide entrance.”
For clients who want to let them out, the company often installs outdoor baths and hot tubs on the deck.
“We don’t tend to go for the off-grid style,” she said. “They’re all fully fitted inside, with double-glazed windows. We always add a basket and pulley on the deck, which you can raise and lower, put in champagne. It’s all about finishing touches to make it feel special.”
While many of Blue Forest’s treehouses look like mini castles, complete with turrets, other treehouses take on less traditional shapes. Tom Chudleigh, an American architect, produces “free spirit spheres” — perfectly round cabins hung from branches.
It’s nice that some people can spend this on a treehouse when a huge portion of the country are really struggling with daily living costs.
This encompasses everything that is currently wrong with our country.
~~Even if I wanted to, I can’t watch freeview, as the aerial on the roof is broken. 8 months after raising the issue this was the *exact* response:~~
>~~The landlord wishes to inform you there are no plans to replace the aerial. TV can be viewed by purchasing a subscription to Sky. Note please that you will require the landlords permission to install a dish on the building and compensation will be deducted from your security deposit for damages that will be caused to the exterior of the building.~~
>~~Please also note that the landlord reserves the right to increase the rent every 12 months; if the increase is equal or less than your rent (if permission is given) there will be no leniancy (SIC) for missed payments and eviction proccedings will take place.~~
**EDIT:** I have absolutely *no* idea how I came to post this here – it was clearly intended for a different thread. Apologies!
A couple who order wallpaper that they can’t afford plan to spend £150k on a treehouse.
And this pair of morons reckon the poor need budgeting advice…
£150k?? He could get the same one on Wish for £150
Guess he intends to be there for a while.
Pretty sure Wilf would be just as happy with a £50 play house off Amazon.
He’s gonna grow up to be lovely 😕
Is Zac Goldsmith chipping in ?
Fine, if he paid for it himself.
But he’s always complaining about being skint, so probably he wouldn’t.
He is aware that he has to leave chequers when he stops being prime minister, right?
It’s not like he’s planning to become dictator or anything, right?
How did it escape me that his son is called Wilf? What a hilariously shit name
What if he bought all his kids a £150K tree house. That’s 7 x £150k over a million ££££ on tree houses.
Paid for by tory Donor, jesus fucking christ, does this useless corrupt lying cheating twatbag put his hand in his pocket for anything in his life?
If an employee of mine was planning to spend pretty much an entire years salary on a treehouse for their kid i would assume that they were on the take and start looking for the evidence.
Is he spending 150k on a treehouse for each of his children?
That could run into _billions_, if he can only remember how many he has.
I’m 28 years old and I still cant afford to buy my first car, despite working full time retail management 6-7 days a week, and having never had a credit card or credit in my life (always rejected). But this fucking criminal has 150k to spunk on a treehouse?
Love life me.
The fuck calls their son Wilf? The last Wilf I knew died n his 90s about 20year ago
You could pay the rent on 25 homes for a year where I live, for people that need it, for the amount he wants to spunk on a treehouse?? At a property he’ll (hopefully) be vacant of very soon.
What an utter cunt.
Wonder what his donor will get in return once Boris has wiped his mouth and dusted off his knees.
How the fuck do you spend that much on a treehouse? Get some 2x4s, nails, glue and some tarp for the roof and you’re golden.
So just to be clear, on being elected this policy vacuum of populism spent considerable sums turning the inside of Downing street into a vaudeville circus and planned an adventure playground for a new born. How long are people going to ignore the blindingly obvious, that this grifter and his cabinet have zero credibility.
£150,000 to build a treehouse with bullet proof glass… for a less than 1 year old.
Is this meant to be anything else than outrage? It’s cute, but far too over the top to make anyone care.
I hear Johnson has a job lined up for Master Wilf as his new 100k a year ethics advisor, so it’s only right he lives in luxury
23 comments
Article contents:
*Steven Swinford, Political Editor | Emma Yeomans, June 25 2022, The Times*
Boris Johnson planned to build a £150,000 treehouse in the grounds of Chequers but was forced to abandon the idea after the police raised security concerns.
The Times has been told that the prime minister and his wife Carrie wanted to build the treehouse at the country retreat in autumn 2020 for their son Wilf.
Two sources said that there were discussions about having Lord Brownlow, a Tory donor, fund the project and plans for the treehouse were drawn up.
The project was ditched after the prime minister’s close protection officers warned of a security risk because the treehouse would be visible from the road. This was despite the design including bulletproof glass, which increased the cost of the project significantly. The couple decided against pursuing the plans after the advice of the police.
No 10 aides raised concerns about the cost of the project and the fact that it would have been more expensive than buying a house in many parts of the country. “He was told it would look terrible,” a government source said.
There were also concerns about the prime minister accepting such a significant donation and whether it would represent a conflict of interest.
It was unclear whether the Chequers Trust, the body which runs the house, would have accepted the plans as many trees in the grounds are protected.
Brownlow did not respond to requests for comment. A government spokesman said: “We do not comment on private or family matters which do not involve any ministerial declarations or taxpayer funds.”
Brownlow was previously embroiled in the scandal over the refurbishment of Johnson’s Downing Street flat.
Shortly after entering Downing Street in 2019 the prime minister and his wife embarked on a significant makeover of the flat above No 11.
Brownlow committed £112,000 towards the refurbishment, including £52,000 which was paid to the Conservative Party and £60,000 to Soane Britain, for refurbishments carried out by Lulu Lytle, the designer.
The electoral commission found that the party had broken the law by failing to disclose some of the donation. The party was fined and Johnson subsequently repaid the money.
Details of the treehouse are not known but it was said to have been an “extensive” project.
Luxury treehouses can include rope bridges, zip wires and adventure areas for children; some have hot tubs and even yoga studios.
At Blue Forest, a luxury treehouse designer, play houses for children start at about £90,000 and go up to “whatever you want to pay”, Caryn Mitten, the company’s marketing director, said. Some clients build them to let out as Airbnbs.
Mitten’s favourite feature is the Narnia wardrobe. “It’s an old-fashioned wardrobe which you open up, and inside is a lot of old fur coats. Then behind is a hobbit-hole door which is a secret entrance to a slide. That’s very popular as an add-on. It looks like a wardrobe but it’s actually a slide entrance.”
For clients who want to let them out, the company often installs outdoor baths and hot tubs on the deck.
“We don’t tend to go for the off-grid style,” she said. “They’re all fully fitted inside, with double-glazed windows. We always add a basket and pulley on the deck, which you can raise and lower, put in champagne. It’s all about finishing touches to make it feel special.”
While many of Blue Forest’s treehouses look like mini castles, complete with turrets, other treehouses take on less traditional shapes. Tom Chudleigh, an American architect, produces “free spirit spheres” — perfectly round cabins hung from branches.
It’s nice that some people can spend this on a treehouse when a huge portion of the country are really struggling with daily living costs.
This encompasses everything that is currently wrong with our country.
~~Even if I wanted to, I can’t watch freeview, as the aerial on the roof is broken. 8 months after raising the issue this was the *exact* response:~~
>~~The landlord wishes to inform you there are no plans to replace the aerial. TV can be viewed by purchasing a subscription to Sky. Note please that you will require the landlords permission to install a dish on the building and compensation will be deducted from your security deposit for damages that will be caused to the exterior of the building.~~
>~~Please also note that the landlord reserves the right to increase the rent every 12 months; if the increase is equal or less than your rent (if permission is given) there will be no leniancy (SIC) for missed payments and eviction proccedings will take place.~~
**EDIT:** I have absolutely *no* idea how I came to post this here – it was clearly intended for a different thread. Apologies!
A couple who order wallpaper that they can’t afford plan to spend £150k on a treehouse.
And this pair of morons reckon the poor need budgeting advice…
£150k?? He could get the same one on Wish for £150
Guess he intends to be there for a while.
Pretty sure Wilf would be just as happy with a £50 play house off Amazon.
He’s gonna grow up to be lovely 😕
Is Zac Goldsmith chipping in ?
Fine, if he paid for it himself.
But he’s always complaining about being skint, so probably he wouldn’t.
He is aware that he has to leave chequers when he stops being prime minister, right?
It’s not like he’s planning to become dictator or anything, right?
How did it escape me that his son is called Wilf? What a hilariously shit name
What if he bought all his kids a £150K tree house. That’s 7 x £150k over a million ££££ on tree houses.
Paid for by tory Donor, jesus fucking christ, does this useless corrupt lying cheating twatbag put his hand in his pocket for anything in his life?
If an employee of mine was planning to spend pretty much an entire years salary on a treehouse for their kid i would assume that they were on the take and start looking for the evidence.
Is he spending 150k on a treehouse for each of his children?
That could run into _billions_, if he can only remember how many he has.
I’m 28 years old and I still cant afford to buy my first car, despite working full time retail management 6-7 days a week, and having never had a credit card or credit in my life (always rejected). But this fucking criminal has 150k to spunk on a treehouse?
Love life me.
The fuck calls their son Wilf? The last Wilf I knew died n his 90s about 20year ago
You could pay the rent on 25 homes for a year where I live, for people that need it, for the amount he wants to spunk on a treehouse?? At a property he’ll (hopefully) be vacant of very soon.
What an utter cunt.
Wonder what his donor will get in return once Boris has wiped his mouth and dusted off his knees.
How the fuck do you spend that much on a treehouse? Get some 2x4s, nails, glue and some tarp for the roof and you’re golden.
So just to be clear, on being elected this policy vacuum of populism spent considerable sums turning the inside of Downing street into a vaudeville circus and planned an adventure playground for a new born. How long are people going to ignore the blindingly obvious, that this grifter and his cabinet have zero credibility.
£150,000 to build a treehouse with bullet proof glass… for a less than 1 year old.
Is this meant to be anything else than outrage? It’s cute, but far too over the top to make anyone care.
I hear Johnson has a job lined up for Master Wilf as his new 100k a year ethics advisor, so it’s only right he lives in luxury