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Neighbours of a luxury party barn in a tiny mountain hamlet are fearing the ‘nightmare’ of booming music and naked guests will continue despite the owner being ordered to knock it down.
Villagers have been united in their battle against the owner of the converted holiday let after party guests shattered the peace of Penisarwaun, a tiny hamlet in the heart of the North Wales countryside which has stunning views of Mount Snowdon.
Influencer-type holidaymakers have been accused of cavorting both in the outdoor hot tub and inside, which neighbours can see through the ‘horrendous’ 18ft window.
The conversion has caused uproar from locals and guests alike, with neighbours comparing the bright lights to the Blackpool illuminations, while holidaymakers have complained of being woken up by the sunlight at 5am.
Owner Karl Jones, who converted the building without permission, was refused approval retrospectively in December after councillors said it would send ‘the wrong message’.
MailOnline can reveal today that Mr Jones was handed an enforcement notice by Cyngor Gwynedd Council on March 4.
Mr Jones has been ordered to stop letting the £500-a-night Gwynedd holiday home out and must now brick up the 18ft windows and return the property to its initial state. He has until April 2 to appeal.
But exasperated neighbours are fearing the ‘hell’ of the rowdy holiday home, which features two double beds, an outdoor hot tub and a huge living room, will continue.
Residents and councillors have been united in their battle against the modern property, which they said was not in keeping with the rest of the Welsh village of Penisarwaun, in Gwynedd
BEFORE AND AFTER: On the left is what the house used to look like and on the right is the dramatic extension
Neighbours say the peace of the Welsh hamlet has been shattered by guests using the hot tub and walking around naked
The property owned by Karl Jones with the 18ft window is situated in the heart of the Welsh countryside
The conversion sparked outrage from locals, who told how they could see renters sprawled out on the sofa in the buff through the giant window
The holiday let, which is still advertised and taking bookings is ironically described as a ‘haven of tranquillity’. A night’s stay is more than £510 over the summer.
Mother-of-two Janet Gayther, 82, whose home is overlooked by the giant window, said: ‘I’m not confident this will be the end of it.
‘I think it will just go on and he’ll appeal or something. I’ve seen all sorts – people sprawled naked or in the hot tub.
‘Some of the guest are fine but we also get girls on hen do’s and you hear them squealing in the hot tub. It’s a shame as this is such a beautiful place to live.
‘I spoke to the owner and he claimed he didn’t need planning permission for the place so I don’t know what is going to happen.
‘I only ever see him now and again but there are guests here all the time.’
Retired photographer Michael Sharp, 72, said: ‘It’s been hell – especially for Janet.
‘We hear the parties and loud booming music. It’s a nightmare. It really does shatter the peace of the place and it is really out of place – it’s as if an alien spaceship has suddenly landed here.
‘They stick out like a sore thumb. It’s not as if it’s an isolated farmhouse or barn when it would be fine. It is surrounded by neighbours.’
He added: ‘I’m not sure what will happen. I fear he will just ignore everything like he has done in the past or just keep appealing and drag it out.
‘But this is an enforcement notice so you would think it does have more weight. We’ll see.’
The property is only accessible by a narrow road and can be difficult to find in the dark.
Pictured is the interior of the holiday home, which features double beds on both floors and a bath tub upstairs
Susan Ellis (pictured) is one of the neighbours who has objected to the extension and its use as a holiday let
Michael Sharp is pictured in his back garden which backs onto the controversial new build
Neighbours say that guests using the hot tub outside the main window disturb the peace
Pictured is the controversial holiday let from the rear. The owner has been issued an enforcement notice
Retired shop worker Gail Burden, 66, said: ‘We’ve had people knocking at the door at 1am trying to find it.
‘I wouldn’t mind but sometimes they have been drunk or rude. A lost coupe even had a row right by our house and we had to call the police.
‘It can be a real nightmare. There is always litter. I am not sure the council’s enforcement notice will sort this out.
‘I think he will just ignore it or appeal. We only see him when he drives past at speed or his girlfriend.’
Neighbours also claim the bright lights inside make the holiday home shine ‘like Blackpool illuminations’.
Long-term resident Susan Ellis, who has lived in the hamlet for more than 50 years, said: ‘It is supposed to a dark sky destination but that has gone out of the window with the huge bright lights.
‘We have bats here and all sorts of wildlife. Everyone is very angry about the situation but also very worn down by it.’
The property is deep in the Welsh countryside and neighbours say the holiday let isn’t in keeping with the area
A spokesman for the council revealed that the owner has been warned he must stop using the property as a holiday let
The most recent guest to leave a review on Airbnb, which was three weeks ago, also lashed out at the owner over their nightmare stay.
The woman, called Kate, wrote: ‘Definitely will not be back…There’s no blinds so we were woken up with sunlight 5am. It’s really strange they have nothing to block the lights out. I actually couldn’t believe it.’
A Cyngor Gwynedd spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘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 2 April 2025 to appeal the Enforcement Notice, after which the Notice takes effect.
‘The Council is continuing to monitor the situation.’
