Woman ordered to remove 'eyesore' static caravan from picturesque Welsh village

Susanna Siddell
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:51:11 +0000

A woman has been ordered to remove an "eyesore" static caravan from a picturesque Welsh village.

Mary Dale is fighting the order from Powys County Council to take away the caravan from land known as Gwynfa's View in Bronllys, near Brecon.

Her attempt to change the land's designation from amenity space to residential use was first thrown out by council planners in April 2025.

The application was refused as it was deemed contrary to policy and the Powys Local Development Plan on multiple grounds - with the "eyesore" occupying the site for at least four and a half years.

Previously, Ms Dale had sought permission for a non-fixed mobile home on the land.

At that point, Bronllys Community Council opposed the planning application and then labelled the caravan an "eyesore" visible upon entering the village.

But, in January, the county council handed Ms Dale an enforcement order claiming she had breached planning control through the "siting of a static caravan on the land for residential purposes".

The council has said such a breach occurred within the past decade.

Now, Ms Dale must remove the caravan by February 2027 to comply with the notice.

In her appeal to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales, Ms Dale insisted the static caravan does not cause "material harm" to the character or appearance of the area.

She also contended it poses no threat to highway safety.

Ms Dale argued her caravan was a "sustainable and low-impact use of the land and serves an established residential need" in her plea for planning permission.

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She said: "I contend that, even if the matters alleged in the enforcement notice occurred, they do not constitute a breach of planning control."

Ms Dale continued argued the caravan's location - and any further use of the land - "fall within permitted development rights or remain ancillary and incidental to the lawful agricultural use of the land".

She further argued the enforcement action is invalid on timing grounds.

The resident said: "The matters referred to in the notice either occurred outside the statutory enforcement period or cannot be proven to have occurred within it. Accordingly, the notice is time-barred, and enforcement action is not valid."

The woman further declared that following the enforcement notice would "cause serious hardship" to her household.

She said the removal of the caravan or giving up its residential use would put both her and her partner "at risk of losing employment".

In turn, she said, they both would be unable to pay essential household bills and maintain a basic standard of living".

She added: "This demonstrates that the steps required by the notice are disproportionate and that reasonable mitigation or variation should be considered."

Both parties now have until May 5 to submit their final comments to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales.

The planning inspectorate will then consider the arguments from Ms Dale and Powys County Council before reaching a decision on the appeal.