Hotel wins appeal in village 'party house' row

The owner of a boutique hotel is celebrating victory in a long-running row with villagers over so-called Ibiza-style parties.

Hill House in Saxlingham Nethergate, near Norwich, had been in a dispute for at least two years over complaints about excessive noise and drunken shouting from the site, where guests can also stay in bell tents.

An application for large events - including stag and hen parties - was rejected by South Norfolk Council in September 2023, but owner Darren Swayne has successfully appealed against the decision.

“We’ve had to fight so hard to prove what we’ve all known from the beginning – that this house and everything we do here is lawful," he said.

Mr Swayne, who lives in Hertfordshire, expressed his frustration that villagers had portrayed the events hosted at the house as being “similar to Glastonbury festival”.

“We are more like a posh Airbnb,” he added.

The Grade II listed venue has hosted guests since 2007, but had been officially registered as a residential property.

The hire of Hill House for corporate events had caused controversy among locals, with the council subsequently issuing an enforcement notice after a village campaign.

"Stop the Hill House Noise" signs were planted throughout the village and one of its residents, John Cook, was elected to South Norfolk Council after pledging to put an end to the issue.

Planning officers argued the property did not have the proper planning permission to be holiday accommodation or a commercial event space and was "detrimental to the residential amenities of adjacent and nearby occupiers by reason of noise and general disturbance".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, government officials have now quashed this decision and given Mr Swayne the green light to continue running his business without constraint.

Planning inspector James Blackwell said that while there was “notable opposition” within the community, its use as a holiday and events destination had been ongoing continuously for more than 10 years – meaning it was immune to enforcement action, and therefore lawful.

Mr Swayne said he had been portrayed as the as "a fat cat and evil destroyer of lives" during the case, which had cost him £70,000 in legal and planning fees.

He stressed that noise control measures would remain in place, including the use of signage and sound monitoring.

“There will be no change to how we do things here, but there is definitely a renewed enthusiasm," he added.

“I care deeply about this village and we will do everything to ensure that the sound issue remains non-existent.”

A spokesman for South Norfolk Council said: “Following the time and resources expended by the council to defend the decision of our planning committee, we are very disappointed by the outcome of the appeal.”

Mr Cook echoed the sentiment, adding that the planning inspectorate had "chosen to ignore the views and the upset of local people".

“Mr Swayne is fully aware of how much impact Hill House and its activities have had on the residents of Saxlingham Nethergate and I hope he stands by his promises to reduce the impact his events have on the village," he added.

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