'Intrusive' beach home work stops

The architect's plans show a five-bedroom property which includes a wine cellar and games room and glass balconies overlooking the bay

Work has stopped on a mansion being built overlooking a scenic Welsh beach after planners said it was larger than the architect's designs.

Swansea council officials said Martin Morgan's £2m concrete and glass home would be "visually intrusive" on Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower peninsula.

But a spokeswoman for Mr Morgan, a hotelier, said procedures had been followed during submission of the plan.

She also said the Design Commission for Wales "strongly endorsed the plans."

Conservationists have objected to Mr Morgan's plan to site his mansion on the bay, which is within Britain's first designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

I did see these original plans, they were for a large property. I regarded it as a Dallas-JR Ewing house Councillor Richard Lewis

Mr Morgan, 46, was granted permission by planners for Bryn House and builders began sinking its foundations.

But work was halted after planning officers found it was bigger than the original architect's designs.

Malcolm Ridge, chairman of the protection and conservation group Gower Society, said: "It is about a third bigger than the original plans and quite different to what was approved.

"The lounge is now 67ft (20.4m) long, which is longer than a cricket wicket, and is about 1.6m (5ft 3in) higher than the original scheme.

"It is simply too big and I don't understand how it can be so different from the original plans which were approved.

"There are major changes which must be made and I cannot understand how that can be done without demolishing what has already been put up.

Glass balconies

"I'm worried this will set a precedent for people to develop in what should be a protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty."

The design for the five-bedroom property - including a wine cellar and games room - showed it clad in wood and stone reclaimed from the former thatched cottage on the site.

Glass balconies were also designed to make the most of the bay's views.

Local councillor Richard Lewis said: "The house is now a lot bigger than the originally approved scheme.

"I did see these original plans, they were for a large property. I regarded it as a 'Dallas JR Ewing' house.

"But this is much larger than the original scheme. There are many people who object to it."

Three Cliffs Bay is in a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Mr Morgan, whose hotel called Morgan's in Swansea is a favourite of movie star Catherine Zeta Jones and her husband Michael Douglas, has stopped work on the site.

Mr Morgan has told planners he was "determined to make the building an asset to the Gower".

Two architectural firms have been employed and a new set of plans have been drawn up.

A fresh application was submitted by Mr Morgan but was later withdrawn after planning officials recommended refusal.

A council spokesman said: "The proposed dwelling, by reason of its overall size, scale and inappropriate design, would be visually intrusive and detract from the character and appearance of Gower."

A spokeswoman for Mr Morgan said: "We adhered to the required procedures for submitting our application, including providing the design to the Design Commission for Wales who strongly endorsed the plans."