'It's totally unfair' says man told to knock down four luxury chalets with hot tubs

Four holiday chalets with hot tubs in Gower will have to be demolished but their owner has been allowed more time to do it. John Phillips had been instructed by Swansea Council last November to immediately stop any occupation of the holiday accommodation in Landimore, overlooking the Wales Coast Path and Loughor Estuary, as part of an enforcement notice.

The notice also said he had to demolish the unauthorised chalets, which are marketed on the website Gower Coast Cabins for £175 or £185 per night, and tidy up the land within six months.

Mr Phillips had built the chalets and began renting them out to visitors in 2022 but would he face a long planning battle as he didn't have permission for them. The council turned down his retrospective planning application in July last year and followed it up with the enforcement notice four months later. Mr Phillips appealed the refusal decision and the enforcement notice but it now appears he has run out of road after a Welsh Government-appointed planning inspector dismissed both appeals, although he has extended the enforcement compliance deadline.

The planning inspector, Richard Duggan, accepted that more time would be needed to cancel bookings given the chalets' high demand so decided that a month to cease use would be reasonable. And he said Mr Phillips should be given 12 months, not six, for their demolition and the restoration of the site. Mr Phillips said he felt the situation was "totally unfair" and that he intended to fight the case in court.

Mr Duggan assessed the impact of the chalets on the character and appearance of the landscape, which is part of the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), their impact on highway safety, ecology and nearby residents' living conditions, among other things. The inspector said the chalets, decking and hot tubs were very visible from the coast path. "The view from the public footpath, albeit only for approximately 100m, is valuable as part of the experience of walking within the AONB and the development seriously harms that view," said Mr Duggan's report.

He considered suggestions from Mr Phillips' advisers to reduce the chalets' impact, including planting new trees, but he concluded that they would take time to grow and wouldn't lead to an overall beneficial effect. The change from a rural and tranquil patch of land to tourism, he said, "has eroded the character of the site to an unacceptable extent".

The inspector added that the lane leading to the chalets was unlit and narrow with no formal passing points and, while accepting Mr Phillips' strict management of their use by guests, said the development "results in unacceptable living conditions for neighbouring residents with regards to noise and disturbance".

Mr Duggan acknowledged in his report that the holiday accommodation was high quality and very popular with visitors. But its positive impact on tourism in Gower, he said, did not outweigh its "significant harm". The inspector also said the chalets, which are in the Landimore Conservation Area, were built without ecological surveys being carried out and that excavation work had affected the roots of some trees close by.

Speaking previously about the chalets, Mr Phillips said they weren't permanent structures and that he didn't think there'd be any problems with them. "The main goal for this was to provide for me and my family," he said. "We've had tonnes of visitors here, they absolutely love it. The local pubs, restaurants and takeaways must have seen an increase in business."

Swansea Council has previously said it was first aware of the chalets following a complaint to the planning department, that it had advised Mr Phillips not to complete the project without submitting a planning application, and that it was its understanding that the work continued despite this advice. The application when it was submitted led to 12 objection letters and two in support.

Commenting on November 1, the council said: "We welcome the decision of the planning inspector in supporting the previous enforcement actions taken by the council in relation to this unauthorised development. Hopefully the outcome of this case will send out a clear message that anyone considering development in the city should make sure they do so with the proper planning permissions in place. This is particularly important in terms of development on Gower because of its protected status where additional planning policies are in place to ensure development is appropriate for Gower and in the right location."

The council, which applied unsuccessfully for costs relating to Mr Phillips' appeal, added that planning officers were keen to work with landowners and developers.

In a short statement Mr Phillips said: "All we can say is we think the decision is totally unfair and plan to appeal/fight our argument in court."