The owner of a bungalow is at war with his neighbours after his outdoor sauna and trendy decking area was used for rowdy hot tub sex parties.
Chandler Harrod, 25, describes his two-bedroom bungalow, which he rents out as an Airbnb, as ‘a coastal getaway with a sauna and hot tub’ in Ormesby St Margaret near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
But neighbours have moaned that his guests are spending their ‘getaways’ enjoying steamy open-air romps – the constant nights of ‘unspeakable debauchery’ have even led to locals nicknaming the village ‘Orgy St Margaret’.
Although the amount of outdoor partying has decreased with the onset of chilly Autumn evenings, the Daily Mail heard rumours that one amorous couple had been spotted over the garden fence, having sex on the glass-topped dining table on the decking during the summer.
John Huxford, 80 – who has lived in his home that backs onto the Airbnb’s gardens for 36 years – told in August how the antics of guests meant he had to close his windows in the hot summer evenings.
He said at the time: ‘I have seen people having sex on the decking and up to all sorts of mischief in the hot tub. People also stand on the table, shouting.’
The pensioner, a full-time carer for his wife who cannot walk, said he had to put up with rowdy guests throwing beer cans, litter and even a used condom into his garden.
He added this week: ‘You can’t really blame the people who come here. They are on holiday and want to have fun.
Neighbours have moaned that his guests are spending their ‘getaways’ enjoying steamy open air romps
The constant nights of ‘unspeakable debauchery’ have even led to locals nicknaming the village ‘Orgy St Margaret’
The Daily Mail heard rumours that one amorous couple had been spotted over the garden fence, having sex on the glass-topped dining table on the decking during the summer
‘As far as I know, the owner of the bungalow has to take out the sauna, but he hasn’t done so. It is only a few inches from my fence and a foot away from my shed. If it goes up in flames, it will take out my property as well.
‘He should do what the council says and take it down. I guess if he doesn’t, then the council will send someone in there to do the job, and then give him the bill.
‘The whole garden is often lit up until midnight. People have still been there in the last few weeks, but there has not been any screaming and shouting with the weather getting colder.’
Complaints led to Mr Chandler being forced to apply to Great Yarmouth Borough Council for retrospective planning consent to keep his raised split-level decking, the cylindrical-shaped 6ft high sauna and bamboo trellis around his back garden fence.
The council turned down his application in June, partly on the grounds that the sauna was on decking which was 21 inches above ground level meaning it overlooked the garden and rear windows of neighbouring homes.
The ruling stated that Mr Harrod’s trendy garden makeover meant that the ‘amenity and privacy of neighbouring properties is significantly compromised’, and the rights of neighbours to enjoy their homes is ‘impinged to an unacceptable level’.
Mr Harrod, who runs a successful horticultural business, has now appealed against the decision, but has been told that council officials are due to take enforcement action to force him to remove the sauna, decking and trellis.
Chandler Harrod, 25, describes his two-bedroom bungalow, which he rents out as an Airbnb , as ‘a coastal getaway with a sauna and hot tub’ in Ormesby St Margaret near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
John Huxford (pictured) who has lived in his home that backs onto the Airbnb’s gardens for 36 years how the antics of guests meant he had to close his windows in the hot summer evenings
The hot tub, which is said to be the scene of many saucy activities, appears to be allowed to stay, although it will no longer be able to sit on the decking according to the council ruling.
But all the features in his rear garden were still in place this week, along with his listing on Airbnb which invites would-be guests to ‘kick back and relax in this calm, stylish place’ with ‘luxury amenities like a super-king sized bed’.
The listing – which prices the property at £991 for a five-night stay in November – describes the bungalow as being just a five-minute drive from the beach, and adds: ‘This contemporary seasonal bungalow is the perfect couples getaway.’
Retired civil servant Joan Ollivant, 73, who lives on the opposite side of the road, said: ‘I don’t like the idea of what goes on because we have very young children living down here.
‘The lad who bought the house moved in for a while, but then turned it into an Airbnb. What upsets me is that he does not have planning consent. I only realised what was going on when we saw all the cars parked outside.
‘He has obviously spent a lot of money on the place. Those trees at the front must have cost a fortune.’
Mrs Ollivant’s daughter Tracey Lawrence, 50, who lives with her, said: ‘It’s a nightmare. The traffic is terrible. People who come to the Airbnb don’t believe in speed limits. You can only get a couple of cars on the driveway, and people park on the road.
‘Luckily, we can’t see the hot tub and the sauna, but plenty of the neighbours have been telling us about what they see and hear. If people want to get up to private activities, they should do it in the property, not outside.’
The listing which prices the property at £991 for a five-night stay in November, describes the bungalow as being just a five-minute drive from the beach
Mrs Lawrence’s daughter Jessica, 27, added: ‘It is disgusting having a place like this without planning consent. It needs to be sorted out.’
A spokesman for Great Yarmouth Borough Council said this week: ‘The applicant has appealed against the refusal of retrospective planning permission. Planning enforcement papers have been drafted and are expected to be issued soon.’
Mr Harrod did not respond to a request for comment this week, but in August he claimed that he was ‘not aware’ of any grievances about his property.
He said at the time: ‘I’m not aware of any problems with the Airbnb, it’s been very successful and it’s always fully booked.
‘I’ve had nothing but positive conversations and experiences with all my neighbours on the road. It’s a lovely area and everybody has been very kind and helpful.’
Rosemary Vincent, 90, who lives next door to the bungalow, stated in August: ‘There is all sorts of debauchery there, which all the residents are aware of.’
She insisted that the owner should close the house as a holiday location due to his failure to follow several planning rules.
Other locals insisted the area was previously a ‘lovely’ place to live and had never suffered any problems in 20 years until the property became a holiday let.
Phil Leach, 63, a semi-retired welder and storage worker who also lives next to the Airbnb said the activities of guests were more suitable to Ibiza, than Ormesby St Margaret.
He claimed that he had experienced ‘many sleepless nights’ having to listen to the sex parties.
Mr Leach added: ‘It has been eye-opening and educational, but not really what you want going on all night long next door.
‘Among the chaos going on, there have been wild stag dos, hen dos as well, drunk people on the decking snorting lines of cocaine and smoking weed. It has been crazy. It is a residential street and not a holiday destination.
‘If people want this, they should go to Ibiza and not to Ormesby. There are lots of elderly neighbours and it is unfair on them.’
Mr Leach who keeps Japanese Koi carp worth around £60,000 in his garden said he had been disappointed to lose four of his fish after he suspected they had been fed chicken wings and chicken legs by guests at the bungalow.
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