I’ve been given a WEEK to demolish my luxury sheds even though neighbours love them – they’re my ‘greatest achievement’
A DAD has been given a week to demolish four luxury chalets which he calls his “greatest achievement” and claims his neighbours love.
John Phillips, 38, has lost a planning battle over the £200-a-night seaside chalets in his garden he’s been renting out for a year in Gower, Wales.
John and his partner Kerrie Garrett saw the chalets as a chance to cash in on the beauty of the surrounding area and provide for their two-year-old daughter Darcy-Mae.
Mixed martial arts fighter John ploughed his savings into the cabins and tubs believing they did not need permission due to their size.
But he and his family were left heartbroken after being refused planning permission for the £350,000 chalets.
He took on the battle and later applied for retrospective planning permission but was denied by officials – and has now been told they must be demolished.
Some locals complained that they were a “blot on the landscape” of Britain’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and should never have been built in the conservation area.
The cabins faced objections from neighbours and even the National Trust – before planning officials ruled they detracted from the Landimore Conservation Area and Gower AONB.
However, after previously visiting the area, SunOnline journalists found many residents who were supportive of John.
Locals we spoke to were happy with John and his ambitious holiday venture.
Even his next door neighbours, whose property overlooks the chalets, said they were happy with the development.
Another local, Rod Griffiths, 84, said: “Mr Phillips is a lovely man with a young family who is trying to make a future for them all.
“His chalets have been built sensitively and in good taste and I think they are beautiful to look at.”
Council officers have now issued enforcement action on eight grounds; including the lack of flood and ecology reports, and potential damage to the roots of trees at the rear of the cabins.
The enforcement notice requires John to remove all traces of the cabins and reinstate the land to what it was before.
The notice was due to take effect from next week but Mr Phillips has appealed the council decision with the Welsh Government department Planning and Environment Decisions Wales.
John argued the cabins would attract visitors to the area all year round and boost the economy in an area where tourist accommodation was limited.
He built the cabins in the grounds of his home in the beauty spot as an investment.
John says that this part of Swansea means a lot to him and that visitors love the beautiful surroundings.
The professional middleweight mixed martial artist said: “The Gower is a gorgeous area, we’ve grown up around here. Everybody loves it here.
“We’ve had tonnes of visitors here, they absolutely love it. They’ll come from all over the world and they can’t believe how beautiful it is here.”
But there were 12 objections to his retrospective plans – including from the National Trust, on the grounds of increased noise, traffic and visual intrusion.
One objector described them as a “blot on the landscape” while another said they should be demolished and the area replanted.
There were also two letters or support, which said the chalets were the type of high-class tourist accommodation Gower needed.
John said: “We don’t understand what the big problem is.
“There’s a massive need for rental accommodation down here, and it provides jobs.
“The local pubs, restaurants and takeaways must have seen an increase in business.”
Just a stone’s throw from the Wales Coast Path, the chalets were advertised for up to £200 per night and featured on popular accommodation websites such as Booking.com.
The buildings boast natural views and comprise of a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, pull-out sofa bed, balcony and hot tub.
They each come with a parking space close to the Wales Coastal Path running around the entire Welsh coastline.
They were advertised on the business’s website for £175, £185, or £200-per-night.
In the original planning report, officers said the road leading to the chalets was too narrow, leading to potential pedestrian safety issues.
It also said he had not provided flood consequence and ecological reports, and that the chalets had damaged the roots of protected trees.
The planning officers’ report added that the “need and demand for the holiday chalets in this sensitive countryside location has not been justified”.