Couple who quit police jobs for country life told to demolish cabins

A couple who quit police jobs for a dream life in the countryside have been ordered to demolish two holiday cabins - after a feud with 'sour grapes' neighbours complaining about their Airbnb lets.

Former police sergeant Rhys Gronow, 47, and emergency call operator wife Roisin, 53, used their savings to buy the quiet cottage after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

The pair spent more than £20,000 to set up the two eco-friendly glamping homes - without planning permission - and a bathroom block to rent out to visitors in the Welsh countryside.

But a handful of neighbours in the 285-population village of Rhydlewis, near Cardigan, Mid Wales, complained about 'late-night parties, traffic and noise'.

Roisin said: 'We came up here for a quiet life and it has been anything but.. I will not let these people dictate to me.'

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One of the complaints said 'multiple families' would party 'late into the evening' at the cabins - and planning officials refused permission for the lodges to stay.

Furious Mrs Gronow denied the claims about late night parties by saying the majority of the guests are young families enjoying the clean air.

She said 'sour grapes' are at the heart of the complaints - and questioned how two holiday cabins could be blamed for causing an increase in traffic.

The mother-of-one said: 'The planning officer who refused it didn't even come out to see the property. If they had they would see there is space for around 10 cars.

'My husband and I have one car between us and most of the guests who visit us are regular visitors with just one car. That's three cars in total.

'That's the disappointing thing, we mostly get young families who just want to get outside with their children and experience somewhere new.'

She added: 'One of the neighbours who complained was actually our former accountant who helped us set up the business.'

Mrs Gronow said that after the couple stopped using her accountancy services the woman complained over their proposed development.

'I think it is a case of sour grapes,' she said.

She added another of those who complained had five cars outside their home with two regularly parked on the road opposite the couple's cottage.

'That is much more of a traffic disruption,' she said.

'Our guests actually contribute to the local shops and businesses and I think that has been forgotten about.'

Mrs Gronow said the couple - who formerly worked 100 miles away for South Wales Police based in Cardiff - erected the wooden cabins in the cottage grounds in just three days in 2019.

She said it took her 'around two weeks' to her to varnish the glamping pods and then applied for planning permission.

She said: 'It was on again off again due to Covid and eventually they told us we needed to reapply.'

And she has vowed to fight back with an appeal after their planning application was rejected by Ceredigion County Council.

Their Instagram page has several positive reviews from guests and the only review on TripAdvisor also gives it five stars.

One guest wrote: 'Our cabin was so cute and the stream running down in front was so therapeutic.'

Five neighbours objected to the application as did Troedyraur Community Council with concerns over increased traffic in the village of Rhydlewis.

One objector said: 'All guests have use of an 'entertainment' area situated at the bottom of the applicant's garden which backs on to a number of residents' properties.

'There can be multiple families using this social area which includes loud music, singing, and shouting over the music.'

'A loud party is enjoyed by all often late into the evenings including weeknights. The location of this site negatively impacts the lives of a number of residents which is not fair.'

The officer's report for Ceredigion Council recommended refusal, saying: 'In light of receipt of several neighbour objections to this development the potential harm to immediate neighbours has been thoroughly assessed.

'Given the rural location of the development site it is considered that the siting of the cabins are close to neighbouring properties on both north and south boundaries.

'The relatively restricted area of land provide for the siting of all three cabins would result in an unacceptable intensified use which would likely result in excessive noise and disturbance to nearby occupiers thus causing demonstrable harm to the living conditions that could be reasonably expected within such a rural village.

'Given that the development has previously been run unlawfully the effects of the development on neighbouring amenity is confirmed by representations received as part of this application.'