Stag and hen parties trigger planning enforcement action

A planning inspector has found that the use of a house in Bristol for hosting stag and hen parties constituted a material change in use of a dwelling house to include holiday accommodation.

As a result of the Council receiving many letters from neighbours it issued an enforcement notice which was appealed.

On one occasion the Council had received a report that a group of up to twenty noisy female guests were in residence together with a topless male waiter who was entertaining them. The Council also highlighted a web site which included quotes from users referring to hen parties.

In addition to planning issues, environmental health had issued a noise abatement notice and one of the appellants had been prosecuted in the magistrates’ court