A LUXURY holiday let may be shut down over claims it is making life a “misery” for neighbours in a small village on the edge of Eryri.
The property, called Plas Coch Barn in Penisarwaun, Gwynedd is a former outbuilding converted into a luxury holiday home with an 18ft window and was erected without planning permission.
Cyngor Gwynedd has been bombarded with complaints from furious locals complaining about noisy revellers disrupting the peace and tranquillity of the rural village. The owner of the property, Karl Jones was approached for a comment.
The council has promised to “monitor the situation” and an enforcement notice has now been issued after councillors on the planning committee refused to grant the site, which is marketed on sites such as Booking.com and Airbnb, retrospective planning permission in December.
Retired photographer Mick Sharp said he spoke for a number of neighbours who were just fed up with the disruption caused by some rowdy guests.
Issues raised included loss of privacy due to large windows, increased traffic on the narrow lane, bright lights, noise from parties, use of a hot tub, an oversized window, privacy, loud music and littering.
In March, 2025, the council had then served an enforcement notice on the owner of the property, Mr Jones, over unauthorised work.
The owner now has until April 2, 2025 to appeal the enforcement notice, after which it takes effect.
The order refers to “…without planning permission, conversion of an outbuilding into self- catering short-term holiday unit”.
If uncontested the barn must cease to be used as a short term holiday let and reverted back to its “ancillary use” to the main house.
The order stated the windows on the eastern elevation would have to be removed and all window openings blocked up.
The order also states the local planning authority “does not consider that planning permission should be granted, as the development has an adverse detrimental effect on residential amenities and the windows in the eastern elevation cause over- looking and create an intrusive effect on neighbouring properties”.
Mr Sharp said “issues have gone on since Autumn , 2022, when building work on the barn started”.
“It just looks like some huge ocean liner all lit up in the night floating in the middle of the countryside. It’s an alien structure, it bears no resemblance to the original barn.
“It is much bigger and although it may be in the same footprint, it’s way out of proportion to the original barn. We would just like the thing knocked down.
“We accept that not everyone who comes to stay is a nuisance but a lot that do just seem to like loud music and making a lot of noise in hot tubs”.
“Dealing with all this including dealing with the council, it has all just been a total nightmare. We are just hoping this enforcement notice will actually be enforced,” he added.
A council spokesperson said: “At a meeting in December 2024, Cyngor Gwynedd’s planning committee refused a retrospective planning application to convert an outbuilding to a holiday let, at Plas Coch, Penisarwaun, Caernarfon, Gwynedd.
“In March 2025, the council served an enforcement notice on the owner of the property in relation to the unauthorised works, requiring steps to be undertaken to remedy the breach of planning control at the property.
“The owner of the property has until April 2, 2025 to appeal the enforcement notice, after which the notice takes effect The council is continuing to monitor the situation.”
