We hate our famous neighbour’s cabin – it was built without planning permission and made our lives a misery for 2 YEARS | The Sun
FUMING residents say they hate their famous neighbour's new cabin – claiming it was built without planning permission and has made their lives a misery for two years.
British Superbike champion Tommy Bridewell and his ex-grid girl wife Stacey have set up their Four Paws Grooming business in a luxurious wooden cabin on their 11-acre farm in a peaceful Wiltshire village.
They built both the cabin and a sprawling stable block and tack room without planning permission, before applying for it retrospectively.
The couple's neighbours said they are constantly woken up at night by horses, sheep and wild animals setting off a motion sensor light.
Bridewell applied to the local council for retrospective consent and has now been given the go-ahead to keep the structures.
But their fuming neighbours have slammed the couple's behaviour – saying they've shown "no respect".
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One, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals, said: "Since they moved here a couple of years ago, they’ve made zero effort to integrate in the community.
"We are a very welcoming bunch and we extended that courtesy towards them from the start, but they have shown none in return.
"Instead they’ve made our lives a misery with their non-stop building work, noise and light pollution from all the security lighting they’ve put up everywhere.
"I had some work done on my house a few years ago and I made a point of informing all my neighbours that there might be a bit noise and apologised in advance.
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Dear Deidre
My sexual fantasy is extreme, I’m determined to ask my wife to fulfill my dream
"But this pair have not shown the same respect. They didn’t warn anyone about the constant noise and traffic – they didn’t even bother getting planning permission.
"To me, that is plain arrogant and disrespectful to the other villagers living here."
Another neighbour said: "These two are making our lives an utter misery with their renovations.
"It’s been two years of banging and clanging and we’ve had enough.
"They don’t talk to any of us about the work – we just wake up and see that something else has gone up."
They added: "We’ll see new bright lights coming from another part of the farm.
"I don’t know which is worse – that they just went ahead with the work without bothering to get planning permission, or that planning permission was actually given for this monstrosity in our eye line.
"We should have been consulted in the proper way and our views should have been listened to and acted on."
Local Pip Davey wrote: "The residents were warmly welcomed until lack of consideration and abuse of the planning process became clear and repetitive.
"The applicant's statement that residents are complaining because they dislike change is inaccurate and offensive.
"More than anything else, we object to the repeated used of retrospective planning."
She added: "As a community, we have no say in local development when our opinion is sought only after the construction is complete.
"Granting consent now feels like tacit permission for everyone to do as they wish and ask for consent only when caught.
"Local people would like to see a firmer approach to this."
CABIN FEVER
The couple were initially given the green light to build a new chalet-style home complete with a snug, study, boot room and dog room after buying the plot of land for £263,000.
Papers lodged at Wiltshire Council reveal that the dog grooming business was set up without consent two years ago, opening from 8.30am to 4pm from Monday to Saturday.
The couple then secured permission for the cabin and the stables retrospectively after seeking professional advice.
Bridewell's wife Stacey works one-to-one with four to five daily customers who drop off and collect their dogs at allotted times with parking for 10 cars – but no motorbikes.
One supportive resident wrote: "There seems to be a little negativity surrounding this site.
"I live just up the road and am a customer of the local business at this address.
"I have seen no end of hard work from a young couple making their dreams a reality.
"I feel we should give people a chance to finish a project before picking it apart.
"The horses and sheep just add to the enjoyment surely?"
Bridewell, 35, won this year's British Superbike Championship by just half a point from team-mate Glenn Irwin in the final race at Brands Hatch.
In an interview last year, he said: "Partly why we bought it was because of the view really.
"I'd rather see a motorbike track than a field in all honesty.
"Of a weekend, we're banging bars, we're doing nearly 200mph down the straights, we're moaning because the bike's not fast enough, we're always trying to find that absolutely maximum.
"To then come back home and me driving a tractor around the field or sat in my JCB lifting pallets and blocks, everything is calm.
"It allows me to catch my breath really, to get my energy back."
Planning officer Jonathan James said: "It is considered that the development is acceptable in principle.
"It would not have a significant impact on the amenity of any nearby residential properties to justify a reason for refusal in this instance."
'LAUGHABLE'
Speaking on the phone to The Sun, Stacey Bridewell said that she could not face a potential loss of earnings while waiting for permission to build the cabin.
She said she applied for planning permission retrospectively after she was advised by a professional that this was legal.
Stacey added that she applied retrospectively for planning permission for a concrete base under the stables, which are on a slope.
She said that only the base needed permission, which was granted retrospectively.
Stacey also said that security lights were installed so horses could be safely ridden on the farm, and that these were removed after a neighbour complained.
She added that planning permission was granted before construction for a new wall and gates at the farm's entrance.
The wall was originally meant to be built from timber, but the couple got planning permission again after deciding to switch to brick.
Speaking on the phone, Stacey said: "It's laughable. We're not stupid, we haven't played games with the council.
"We had to sell everything to move here and make our future. I cannot fathom how we have upset anybody and where it has come from."
What is retrospective planning permission?
SOMETIMES a homeowner might make changes to their property without asking for planning permission
It is legal to apply for planning permission retrospectively.
People who build a structure can apply for permission afterwards.
The council can ask the resident to retrospectively apply for planning permission for any completed work which needs it.
This normally happens when someone complains to the council about the new work.
The same considerations will apply and permission only granted if it is deemed suitable by the local authority.
Retrospective planning applications are not automatically approved – around one in five are turned down.
If the application is turned down, the homeowner may have to tear down whatever they have built.
But if it is approved, the retrospective planning permission is just as valid and legitimate as permission granted before building work starts.
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