Cafe by one of Wales' best beaches told to remove decking which is big enough for one table

Richard Youle
·3-min read
A five-year planning dispute about this 58cm high decking and the fencing on the right at a cafe in Rhossili, Gower, has concluded -Credit:Richard Youle
A five-year planning dispute about this 58cm high decking and the fencing on the right at a cafe in Rhossili, Gower, has concluded -Credit:Richard Youle


A five-year planning dispute about a small area of decking and fencing at a Gower cafe has run its course after a planning inspector ruled it must be taken down. Steve Lancey, joint owner of The Lookout cafe, Rhossili, said he was "gutted".

The raised decking has slightly better views towards the bay and Rhossili Down than the adjacent paved area and catches a bit more sunlight. Mr Lancey said he and fellow owner Simon Morris would never have put it up if they realised it was going "to cause such a palaver". Referring to the planning inspector's decision, he said: "We just can't believe it. It's cost us thousands (of pounds) fighting it."

Mr Lancey said they didn't know they needed planning permission in 2019 when they erected the fencing and the decking, which he said was 58cm high, by the wall separating the cafe from a neighbouring property. They applied to Swansea Council to retain the timber structure but the council turned it down on the grounds of "unneighbourly development" which negatively impacted the neighbour's privacy. The Gower Society objected to the application, saying the work had taken place without consent and claiming that the applicants had shown "scant regard" for the neighbouring property and the appearance of "this iconic village".

READ MORE: The 'irreplaceable' council worker a new Swansea feature will be named after

Three planning applications, two appeals and an enforcement notice later Mr Lancey and Mr Morris have been told by a Welsh Government-appointed inspector to dismantle the decking and fencing. The duo's planning agent had argued that a previous planning inspector said the decking and fencing, along with a proposed glazed screen on top of the boundary wall, would avoid harmful overlooking. The inspector did, however, say the glazed screen would fail to preserve the Rhossili Conservation Area and Gower Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty.

Mr Lancey and Mr Morris proposed a more aesthetic way of capping the wall, using stones, and their agent argued that the council's two-month enforcement deadline to remove the decking would be a struggle due to the limited availability of contractors. For the latest Swansea news, sign up to our newsletter here

Their hopes were pinned on their appeal against the enforcement notice, and a different planning inspector visited the cafe to see the decking and fencing and its proximity to the house next door for herself. Her decision was limited to two grounds, though, and it upheld the council's enforcement notice meaning that the decking and fencing must be removed.

The Lookout cafe, Rhossili, with the raised decking on the left
The Lookout cafe, Rhossili, with the raised decking on the left
Customers at The Lookout enjoying a coffee on the decking
Customers at The Lookout enjoying a coffee on the decking

Mr Morris has previously said that The Lookout supported some 15 full and part-time jobs and that an earlier application to lower the decking had 105 letters of support. Gower councillor Richard Lewis said he felt sorry for the two owners and that having to take down the decking was, in his view, "a disgrace". He said: "They are local boys and run an excellent business. Gower is a holiday area - we don't make our money from farming as much as we used to - and it means jobs." He added: "Half the caravan sites in Gower have got decking."

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • Hunter mistakenly kills grizzly bear, but it wasn’t hunter’s mistake

    After an investigation that left the Idaho Fish and Game in an embarrassing position, the hunter was not issued a citation.

  • Britain’s wilful destruction of its oil and gas industry is beyond belief

    Until last week, few would ever have heard of Horse Hill, near Horley in Surrey, still less been there.

  • Miliband vows to scrap 2035 Tory ban on new gas boilers

    Labour will scrap the Tory party’s 2035 target to ban new gas boilers, Ed Miliband has pledged.

  • Russia’s shifting tactics put unprecedented pressure on Ukraine’s already hobbled power system

    Kateryna Serzhan says the only way to survive Ukraine’s almost daily blackout schedule is to “always have a plan B.”

  • What are electrolysers? How is hydrogen produced and how do fuel cells use the energy?

    Electrolysers and fuel cell systems are the key equipment for the production and use of hydrogen. More than 95 per cent of hydrogen is currently made using fossil fuels, mainly coal and natural gas, because of their low costs. However, governments' climate policies and incentives will make the production of green hydrogen, which uses renewable energy, economically viable, presenting big business opportunities. Here is what you need to know about electrolysers and fuel cell systems. Do you have q

  • Ontario Science Centre to close immediately: province

    The Ontario Science Centre is shutting down immediately due to the risk that the building's roof could collapse, the province announced Friday.The closure, which the province says could last years, comes after the government's controversial announcement in 2023 that the popular landmark and attraction would be moved to the Ontario Place site — a move it says will save costs. "The actions taken today will protect the health and safety of visitors and staff," said Infrastruction Minister Kinga Sur

  • Green hydrogen: is this Australia's breakout moment amid US$127 billion boom down under?

    On a site three times the size of Hong Kong, a US$10 billion project mooted in Australia has raised hopes of tackling greenhouse gas emissions with green hydrogen. Located 400km north of Alice Springs in central Australia, phase one of the proposed Green Springs project, targeted for completion by 2030, will feature 10 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels, enough to meet the requirements of more than 3 million households. If the project, spread over 200 square kilometres, gets the go ahead and is succ

  • EU approves $3.2 billion in German hydrogen pipeline support

    FRANKFURT (Reuters) -The European Commission has signed off on about 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) of planned German state aid for building a system of hydrogen pipelines known as the Hydrogen Core Network (HCN). Berlin plans to give financial guarantees to allow companies that build and run the 20 billion euro network to obtain more favourable loans to cover initial losses during the ramp-up phase from 2025. Encouraging the uptake of hydrogen outweighs any distortion to EU competition and trade from the scheme, the Commission said on Friday.

  • Carbon emissions from vans still rising as UK drivers cling to diesel

    Costly new vehicles, limited choice and scarce charging points are holding back a switch to electric by businesses

  • Takeaways from AP's report on Philippines governor's interest in natural gas

    The Philippines is engaged in a major buildout of natural gas power at a time when scientists say the world needs to urgently phase out fossil fuel use because of climate change. An Associated Press investigation found that a major cheerleader for natural gas, Gov. Hermilando Mandanas of Batangas province, stood to benefit from the buildout. The government has ambitions for making the Philippines a liquified natural gas hub for the Asia-Pacific region.

  • Bather, beware: British beaches and rivers have a sewage problem. It has seeped into election talk

    HENLEY-ON-THAMES, England (AP) — Endurance swimmer Joan Fennelly is undaunted by frigid water and long distances, swimming year-round in the wild. The River Thames is one of Britain's many waterways contaminated with sewage and agricultural pollution. Britain has become notorious as a place where a casual swim could lead to an extended visit to the toilet, if not the hospital.

  • Amazon will stop using those little plastic pillows in its packaging

    Amazon is eliminating the use of the puffy plastic air pillows used in delivery boxes, joining other major companies that are cutting their plastic use.

  • In the race for new energy strategies, why does home insulation always lag behind?

    It’s not a sexy subject in an election campaign, but the inefficiency of Britain’s housing stock is a crisis in waiting

  • Hotel in the Highlands shortlisted for prestigious sustainability award

    A HOTEL in the Highlands has been shortlisted for a prestigious sustainability award after investing millions of pounds in a “pioneering” energy centre.

  • Colchester primary school children to convince others to stop driving

    Children in Colchester schools have been encouraged to make pledges to tackle air pollution, including convincing others to stop driving.

  • Chimpanzees seen self-medicating with healing plants when sick or injured

    The chimpanzee was sick. It had diarrhea and tapeworms - not unusual for a wild chimpanzee in the Budongo Forest of Uganda. What intrigued the watching research team was what the ape did about it. Soon after its symptoms developed, the male traveled with two others away from the community’s home to a site in the forest with a particular type of tree. It collected some dead wood from the Alstonia boonei and chewed it. The plant has long been used in traditional medicine, and when the scientists t

  • Swindon pensioner fears neighbour's trees will crush house with her in it

    A woman feared that tall trees in her neighbour's garden could crush her house with her in it.

  • Don't dismiss concerns of residents over Palmers Farm quarry proposal

    This letter to the editor is about concerns over a proposed gravel extraction site in Wootton on the Isle of Wight

  • Restore Nature Now: thousands to march in London calling for urgent action

    Mainstream groups including National Trust and RSPB will join hunt saboteurs and direct action activists for first time

  • Coldplay To Release Limited Edition LP Made Using Recycled River Plastic

    Coldplay are set to release a limited edition record made from recycled plastic collected from rivers. Their latest release, "Moon Music," will come in a special vinyl edition crafted from plastic recovered from the Rio Las Vacas in Guatemala. The band claims this initiative will cut carbon emissions by 85% and eliminate the need for over 25 metric tonnes of virgin plastic. The eco-friendly project is in collaboration with the Dutch non-profit organisation The Ocean Cleanup, dedicated to removing plastic from oceans and waterways. In 2021, Coldplay announced their plan to reduce the carbon footprint of their Music Of The Spheres World Tour, implementing measures like solar-powered lights and sustainable aviation fuel. The efforts resulted in a 59% decrease in carbon dioxide emissions compared to their previous tour. Vinyl records have seen a significant resurgence over the past decade, with UK sales hitting a 20-year high of 5.9 million units last year. However, traditional vinyl material, PVC, is a by-product of the oil industry and can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in landfills. The album is set to be released on October 4, 2024.