How the family home looked before it was ‘decapitated’ (Picture: Wales News Service)

A family has had to ‘decapitate’ their new house after moving in because it breached planning rules.

The five-bedroom detached home is now a bungalow after council officials found that it towered over homes in a neighbouring street.

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The £250,000 property was bought by a family of four before Swansea Council ordered the home to remove its roof and top floor, after developers lost a two-year legal row.

Neighbours had complained the property’s roof was two metres too high and walls were three metres too close, meaning its windows looked straight down on their own homes.


The family moved into the property shortly after it was built in 2013.



But a number of residents living in the older neighbouring Gelli Aur street raised issues with the building’s height to Swansea Council.

How the house now looks after neighbours raised objections to its height (Picture: Wales News Service)

Builders Hale Construction challenged council orders to have it downsized, but eventually lost their two-year planning appeal in July 2015 when inspectors ruled it was ‘unacceptable, oppressive and overbearing’.

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It meant the family were forced to move out while work began to remove its upper levels, before being forced to sell their home just three years after moving in.

Neighbour John Cursio, 41, said his elderly parents had now moved into the converted bungalow after buying it off the family for £185,000.

Mr Cursio said: ‘I think the complaints were done out of sheer spite really. I don’t know if it’s jealousy or what.

The house pictured during its ‘decapitation’ following a planning row (Picture: Wales News Service)

He added: ‘The family who originally bought it took a massive hit. They had to move out after being on licence for four years.’

A spokesman for Swansea Council said: ‘Enforcement action was taken by the council after the developer constructed the property too near a neighbouring property and also because it was built higher than the original plans.

‘Subsequently the council has approved an application for the site which requires the partial demolition of the structure and replaced by a single story development.

‘We received a number of complaints about the property and following an investigation, enforcement action was taken.

‘We would urge developers to ensure properties that are being constructed are in line with approved plans otherwise there is a risk that enforcement will be necessary and could result in demolition.

‘There are no issues in relation to the completed dwelling which is now occupied.’