Man battles with council to have bus shelter removed from outside his house

06 September 2023 , 13:43

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The bus shelter which offends homeowner Simon Williams (Image: Media Wales)

A man is locked in a battle with a council over a bus shelter that he claims is obstructing his driveway and preventing him from selling his house - even though it has been established in the street for 50 years.

Simon Williams bought the property in Killay, Swansea, last August. The house was in a derelict state, lacking even basic amenities like a kitchen or bathroom but he planned to refurbish it and then put it back on the market. However, he says his dreams have been thwarted by the bus shelter, situated nearby.

Mr Williams claims he met with a council representative and reached an agreement to dismantle the shelter at his own expense and reinstall it at a different location. Mr Williams said that last month he'd agreed a sale with a prospective buyer contingent on written confirmation from the council's highway department regarding the relocation of the bus shelter. However Mr Williams said he then received a phone call informing him that the council had "overturned the decision" and would no longer grant permission for the relocation. Swansea City Council maintains it has no plans to relocate the bus shelter.

Mr. Williams expressed his frustration, stating, "Every single person who is viewing the house is saying the same thing - that the bus shelter is putting them off. You can see that shelter is smack bang in the middle of my drive. A lot of bus stops haven't even got bus shelters, they just have posts with a sign on it. The bus doesn't even stop outside the shelter, because if it did, it would be half on the road because it is at the end and located at a terrible location."

Mr Williams added: "When I'm coming in and out of my drive, I literally have to look through the bus shelter to check if there's cars coming because it's right in my visibility. It's a safety issue more than anything as well, that's what I'm more concerned about."

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A spokesman for Swansea City Council stated: "The council has been in touch with the resident and confirmed that the bus shelter has been in place for more than 50 years and provides an important element in the public transport infrastructure within the community. The shelter continues to be well used by locals and there are no plans to relocate the shelter to an alternative position."

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S P Jones