MONMOUTHSHIRE planning chiefs admitted to a “lack of enforcement”which led to holiday accommodation being built outside of original specifications.

The Chickenshed in Trellech was supposed to have been a conversion of an existing chicken shed on the property.

It received planning permission in 2012 on these conditions, which also restricted the new use to tourist accommodation only.

Instead, the building was completely rebuilt around the original site of the building and was slightly longer, wider and higher than originally planned.

Officers had visited while it was being built around the original building’s rafters, which were propped up, but construction was allowed to continue.

Since then the Chickenshed has become a successful holiday let in the county and was shortlisted for the architecture gold medal at last year’s Eisteddfod.

On Tuesday, owner Sue Peacock applied for the original plans to be substituted with the plans as built.

Members approved the application, with their only other options being to demolish the building or to do nothing.

Speaking at the meeting, Trellech United community councillor John Gooding said: “Construction should have been stopped at this early stage but council enforcement allowed it to continue.

“This building has been a planning disaster from start to finish and we think that the planning department accept that.”

Planning officer Mark Hand said approval was given under the “more relaxed” Unitary Development Plan (UDP) and that they are currently operating under “much tighter procedures”.

He said: “We accepted it then. Perhaps with the benefit of hindsight we can question the extent to which it was capable of conversion.

“We knew what we knew at the time, so we’ll have to take that on the chin, to be blunt.”