Love Shack becomes reality after council relents - Update

A couple have won permission to call their wooden home 'Love Shack' following an eight month battle with their council. Artists Simon and Sheba Cassini lodged an application for the name change when they moved into the ex-boat builder's shed on Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, south west London last August.

But planners at Richmond Council insisted the new name could cause confusion to the emergency services. They were told the word shack was "misleading" but could be replaced with apartment, building, centre, court, heights, house, lodge, mansions, point, studio, tower or villa.

However the couple found a compelling argument to support their cause after a neighbour called the fire brigade after mistaking their back garden BBQ for a blaze. Three engines successfully turned up at the shack – named after the famous hit by 80s pop band the B52s, who used the island as inspiration for their hit track.



Mr Cassini, 51, said: "Richmond Council would not let us change the name of our house because in the event of an incident involving the emergency services, they would not know which house to go to. However they managed to locate the roaring inferno of a barbeque in our back garden within five minutes."

Following the incident and confirmation from the fire brigade that it had no formal objections to the new name the Cassinis were formally given permission for the change.

Mr Cassini added: "My relentless onslaught of irritatingly erudite and polite emails have finally proved too much and they're graciously allowing us our change of name."