Family's horror as holiday chalets they built in garden face being demolished

23 July 2023 , 10:25

619     0

John Phillips with his partner Kerrie Garrett and their two-year-old daughter, Darcy (Image: John Phillips)

A family who built four holiday chalets on land that came with their home have said their livelihood is now under threat as the buildings are at risk of being demolished.

In 2021, John Phillips, 38, decided to build the chalets in their garden hoping they could be the start of a new future for him, his partner Kerrie Garrett and their two-year-old daughter Darcy.

Since then, the buildings have been popular with holidaymakers and bookings have been flat out for Gower Coast Cabins, which have a price tag of £175 or £185 per night.

The chalets, which boast gorgeous views of the Loughor Estuary, feature a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, pull-out sofa bed for children, balcony and hot tub - and also come with parking space.

But Mr Phillips has not been getting much sleep as the chalets could now be demolished, Wales Online reports.

London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard

One of the four chalets that have been refused retrospective planning consent

The professional middleweight mixed martial artist had always had a keen interest in developing various properties.

"The idea was to always have cabins here," he said. "We basically put four sheds in our garden, they are not permanent structures. We just followed the building regulations and didn’t think we'd have any problems."

He added: "Building them, it was such an exciting time. It felt like it was a great achievement. Everyone that passed used to tell me how good they looked. It was just about making a living really, that was the main thing. The main goal for this was to provide for me and my family."

John said he had assumed that the chalets did not require approval under building regulations as they conformed to the relevant size criteria, and he said he had liaised with Swansea Council planning officers. He said he was advised they might need a change of use consent if let out to tourists.

John submitted a planning application to the council last July to retain and complete the chalets. The application argued that they would attract visitors to the area all year round and boost the economy as the part of north Gower in question had limited tourism accommodation.

The application also argued that landscape and visual impacts were minor and that new greenery could mitigate these. It contended 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.

For John, this part of Swansea means a lot to him. He 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 John's application has led to 12 objections, including from the National Trust, on the grounds of increased noise from holidaymakers, more traffic and visual intrusion, among other things. One of the objectors described them as a "blot on the landscape" while another said they should be demolished and the area replanted.

There were also two letters of support, which said the chalets were the type of high-class tourist accommodation Gower needed. But In a lengthy report, the council's planning department turned down the application, saying the chalets were intrusive development in open countryside which detracted from the Landimore Conservation Area and Gower AONB.

The family is now worried for their livelihood (John Phillips)

Officers also said the road leading to the chalets was too narrow, leading to potential pedestrian safety issues. They said that John had not provided flood consequence and ecological reports and that the chalets' close proximity to trees at the rear had adversely impacted their roots.

UK house prices fall again - down 3.2% from last year peak, says Nationwide

The planning officers' report added that the "need and demand for the holiday chalets in this sensitive countryside location has not been justified". John said he was minded to appeal the refusal decision.

"We don't understand what the big problem is," he said. "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."

But the potential demolition of the cabins has also left John feeling concerned as he said: "You literally can’t sleep, you're worrying about it all. This is our livelihood, this is how we pay our bills, our mortgage, we put food on the table, especially in this day and age when the cost of living is affecting everyone. It is a little bit worrying.

He added: "I hope it all gets sorted out. I don’t understand the big fuss. They are in our garden, and when you bring it down to basics, they’re basically four garden sheds in our garden - that’s what they are. It's good for the area, it's good for tourism, bringing money to the area and bringing jobs. It makes no sense. I just don't understand how anyone can be against it."

Branwen Jones