The Planning Inspectorate has dismissed an appeal by a homeowner in a village after a site visit last month, following a flood of complaints from neighbours.
The homeowner, who had put their property on the market and received rave reviews on Airbnb, had been warned in writing that a no-show would result in automatic dismissal under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
The inspector threw out the appeal after finding that the homeowner had failed to grant access to the property, despite multiple requests.
The property, which has a 4.81 rating on Airbnb and is listed as a 'coastal getaway with sauna and hot tub', has been at the centre of controversy due to complaints from neighbours about unauthorised building work and guest behaviour.
Locals claimed that elevated decking allowed guests to be seen getting steamy in the hot tub, and that used condoms had been thrown into their gardens.
One neighbour, 90-year-old Rosemary Vincent, said that 'there is all sorts of debauchery' at the property, while another neighbour, 80-year-old John Huxford, claimed that he had seen 'people having sex on the decking and up to all sorts of mischief in the hot tub'.
The homeowner, who bought the property during the pandemic, could now be forced to remove the sauna and rip out the decking and trellis.
The property is still listed on Airbnb, despite the controversy surrounding it.
The Planning Inspectorate's decision is a significant blow to the homeowner's plans, and has been welcomed by neighbours who had been campaigning against the property's use as an Airbnb.
