Recently he has detected an increase in the number of sheds made from recycled wood or scrounged materials, such as the Owl House in this year’sEco category, and also sheds on wheels: “People want to take their shed with them.”
Wilcox’s passion was instilled during childhood afternoons in his grandfather’s handmade allotment shed, but his own is a plain green readymade potting shed inherited from the previous owner of his house in the Rhondda: “It’s probably the most boring shed in the world. I suppose you could call me a shed voyeur. But my partner has a summerhouse too. Sometimes we go to them separately and sometimes we visit each other. Ideally, we’d all have two sheds.”
In theory, sheds are classed as temporary structures and are exempt from planning permission. Local authorities have different guidelines, though, especially where a shed is to be erected near a listed building or in a conservation area. The Posh Shed Company says that, typically, authorities require that a shed be five metres from the main dwelling, not lie between it and a highway and not exceed a floor area of 30m sq. There may also be a height limitation of between 2.5 and 4 metres depending on the type of roof used and the proximity to the property boundary.