Swansea: Council orders demolition of luxury holiday cabins

The four luxury holiday cabins were built without planning permission

A landowner has been told to demolish four luxury holiday cabins - along with their hot tubs.

Swansea council issued the enforcement notice because it said the cabins overlooking the Loughor Estuary were built without planning permission.

It comes four months after the authority refused retrospective planning permission for the scheme.

Landowner John Philips said he was launching an appeal.

Council officers took enforcement action on eight grounds, including the absence of flood and ecology reports, and potential damage to the roots of trees at the rear of the cabins.

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The notice also said the development relied on the use of cars because there was poor public transport alternatives, and that increased car usage on what was a narrow access road had a negative impact on highway and pedestrian safety.

It required Mr Phillips to remove all traces of the cabins, including the septic tank serving them, and reinstate the land to what it was previously.

Mr Philips said his family had spent "everything we had and more" on the project. They also raised money from the sale of their cars and took out loans to fund it.

"It's so soul-destroying," he said.

"We worked with the council all the way through the project. We had numerous site visits. At any time the council could have said stop building, and they didn't," Mr Philips said.

Mr Philips has been told to remove all traces of the cabins

Swansea council said it did not work with the landowner during any part of the project and "did not visit him on site on numerous occasions".

It said it was first made aware of the development following a complaint to its planning department.

"During a follow-up call with the landowner we advised that the continuation of the development should cease while a planning application is submitted. However, we understand development continued against our advice," the council said in a statement.

"At no time did the council give the impression that the planning application would be approved and in fact, the applicant was advised that the application was likely to be refused in follow-up correspondence."

The statement said, that following the refusal in July 2023, the council served an enforcement notice on the landowner in November, which required the landowner to dismantle the chalets and return the land to its former status.

The Welsh government said the planning inspectorate had received Mr Phillips' appeal.

Mr Philips built the cabins on land which came with the house he had bought in 2021, and began renting them out from July 2022.

His application argued that the overall impact on the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the Landimore Conservation Area in which they were located was acceptable.

Swansea council said the area was largely a conservation area with many more planning policies in place to ensure it is protected and said it was therefore "unwise" to risk completing any development without the appropriate permissions.

There were 12 letters of objection to the application, and two in support. Council planning officers turned it down, saying the cabins were intrusive development in open countryside.

The cabins have a kitchen, bathroom, balcony and various mod cons, can sleep two adults and two children on a double bed and sofa bed, and cost £175, £185 or £200 per night to rent.

Additional reporting by Antonia Matthews

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