Residents of a picturesque village in Cornwall have raised concerns about a ‘holiday park’ business which has been created in a ‘rogue’ roofer’s back garden without planning permission.

Ross Cheal has applied for retrospective planning permission to keep four holiday pods, a swimming pool, an incidental building and an extended driveway on land at Steamers Meadow, Angarrack, near Hayle.

The application also seeks to retain an annexe, which was converted from a previously approved garage / studio, as well as change the use of land to residential with the construction of a detached garage.

Hayle Town Council “strongly objects” to the proposal while a couple of neighbours have also made their feelings known. The Environment Agency has also objected to the application.

Despite being built without approval, the holiday lodges are available to rent on Airbnb where they receive regular favourable reviews.

In January 2025 Mr Cheal was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, after being prosecuted by Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team.

He was also ordered to pay a total of £29,541 in compensation to his victims and £5,000 towards the council’s court costs.

Between May 1, 2020, and April 30, 2023, Mr Cheal – in his capacity of director of Giant Roofing Ltd – made fraudulent representations and excuses to customers for roofing works carried out at several properties. In the seven cases highlighted by Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team, his actions led to significant delays, poor workmanship and failures to put work right.

A comment opposing the retrospective planning application, and its new elements, on Cornwall Council’s planning portal states: “It is detrimental to the local area due to traffic nuisance and sewage issues. There is also an issue of noise and detriment to the natural environment.

“I would also suggest that a developer investing a large amount of funds into a project without planning must think they can get away with a scheme with no risk of sanction. Maybe Cornwall Council should investigate this application further – the applicant has been fined by Cornwall Trading Standards for a bad standard of roofing work and clearly has little regard for local law.”

Another Angarrack local added: “I am a neighbouring resident and wish to object to this retrospective application. When I bought my property in 2016, I did so knowing the adjoining plot had permission for one dwelling and a garage/studio only.

“Instead, the approved garage was never built and a second unlawful dwelling has been constructed and lived in for a number of years. This has already doubled residential activity at the site without permission.

“Since then, a commercial holiday business has been created including four holiday pods, a swimming pool and a large gym building, operating as Riverside Retreats. This has fundamentally changed the site from a quiet residential use into a busy holiday park.

“Traffic has increased significantly, with frequent arrivals, departures and visitor activity. Commercial vehicles are often parked on the narrow road through the village, creating hazards and worsening congestion.

“Noise levels have risen, especially evenings and weekends, affecting the peaceful enjoyment of neighbouring homes. These impacts were not anticipated when the original single-dwelling approval was granted.”

The neighbour added: “Since the holiday use began, there have been frequent sewage issues in the immediate area. This raises questions about whether the site’s waste and drainage systems are adequate for the level of occupation.

“I understand Cornwall encourages tourism, but this is a residential plot and this level of commercial intensification appears contrary to planning policy. The proposal effectively seeks to regularise a second dwelling plus a holiday park that were never approved.

“I respect responsible development, but this represents a significant unauthorised intensification and change of use, with real negative impacts on neighbours, local wildlife and village character. Approving this retrospectively would set a concerning precedent.”

Hayle Town Council voted to strongly object to the proposal in November. It commented: “Angarrack is a small village with a tightly knit development and a strong rural character. Introducing a cluster of modern holiday pods would be a visually intrusive form of development, out of scale with the existing settlement.

“The council has raised concerns about noise and vehicle movements associated with holiday accommodation, road safety issues and drainage issues.

“If approved, the development could open the door to further tourist accommodation schemes around Angarrack and Hayle, leading to cumulative loss of tranquillity, rural character and community coherence.”

The Environment Agency, which has flood risk concerns and has objected, stated: “The submitted information requires clarification. The design and access statement suggests that there are just two pods, the flood risk assessment (FRA) talks of five holiday chalets and the site plan includes four lodges, a detached annexe and garage with further accommodation, as well as pool/garage/gym building.

“As a result, it is difficult to understand what we are being consulted on under this application and what was existing previously.”

A design, access and heritage statement made by Cornwall Planning Group on behalf of Mr Cheal said: “The application seeks permission for the retention of ancillary development already on site and for the construction of a new detached garage.

“The annexe provides flexible space for family members and guests. It does not function as a separate dwelling and it is incapable of independent occupation due to its scale, configuration and relationship to the principal dwelling.

“The proposals are small in scale, well designed and wholly incidental to the principal dwelling. They comply with the Cornwall Local Plan and National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), enhance biodiversity and landscaping, manage flood risk and drainage responsibly, protect neighbour amenity and preserve the character of the village and the setting of heritage assets.

“The development represents sustainable, proportionate enhancement of an established residential plot. For these reasons, the application is commended to Cornwall Council for approval.”

The application currently has one comment in support from the National Annexe Planning Consultancy (NAPC), which states: “NAPC’s national expertise in ancillary and modular accommodation informs our view that such proposals make efficient use of residential plots and offer a flexible, sustainable response to the evolving needs of households.”

More details of the application, PA25/07184, can be found on Cornwall Council’s website – https://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=T2ZODKFGLR200.

Hayle Town Council has asked that should Cornwall Council’s planning officer be minded to approve the application, it is called to committee for a decision.