Conwy Airbnb host ordered to tear down ‘prison watchtower’

Owners of an Airbnb have been told to tear down what neighbours dubbed a “prison camp watchtower” in their garden.

The “monstrous” tower was built without planning permission in January 2024 in the garden of a holiday let on Tan y Bryn Road, Rhos-on-Sea, Conwy county.

It sparked fury from neighbours who claimed the structure was blighting their day-to-day lives.

JAM Domestic Properties Ltd submitted a number of retrospective planning applications to try to retain the “garden room”, but these were refused.

Conwy council said: “An enforcement notice has been served which requires the removal of the structure.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has been told that the order took effect on 17 June, with the developer given 10 weeks from that date to launch an appeal.

Nick Whitmore, 35, who moved on to Tan y Bryn with his family in 2021, said the structure compromised their quality of life.

“It dominates our property and our neighbours,” he explained.

“[My family] can’t even sit at their breakfast table without it being overlooked, and it is the same for lots of other houses in the locality.

“We are looking forward to the structure coming down.

“It will mean we no longer have such a dominating and intrusive structure, which is so overbearing, looking over our garden or our neighbours’ gardens.”

Another neighbour previously said the structure was “commanding attention not unlike a prison camp watchtower”.

An application by JAM Domestic Properties to retain the structure read: “Views from the raised platform into neighbouring properties were recognised as being available from the initial planning consent.

“The proposed development is not considered to lead to an acceptable increase to this and is not considered to have a detrimental impact on privacy or residential amenity to neighbouring properties, and therefore would be acceptable on this basis.”

The firm declined to comment on the enforcement notice.