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Dad who raised sloping lawn by 20 inches wins battle with neighbours who say he can peer into their gardens

Matthew Williams
Matthew Williams has managed to secure planning permission for his raised garden despite neighbours' objections. (Wales News)

A row over whether a man could raise his garden by 20 inches has ended in his victory over five objecting neighbours.

Matthew Williams, 36, wanted to level out his back yard by building a £3,000 wall to transform it into a bowling green-style lawn.

However, the dad’s neighbours said their privacy was threatened because it could let him peer into their gardens.

He was forced to stop work for a year-and-a-half after receiving permission for a rear extension and to raise areas around it.

However, he ended up lifting the whole of the sloping garden by half a metre at his £500,000 detached house in Pentre Nicklaus Village – named for golfer Jack Nicklaus – near Llanelli in south Wales.

Matthew Williams
The garden sloped and Williams wanted it level, though neighbours feared it could let him "peer" into their gardens. (Wales News)
Matthew Williams
Councillors approved Williams' plans retrospectively. (Wales News)

Neighbour Gareth Williams said: “The raised ground level seriously compromises the privacy of our back garden.

“It's all too easy for an adult to peer over,” he said, adding Williams was “clearly out of step with the local community”.

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Williams asked for retrospective planning permission to keep the raised garden and a fence around it.

Richard Bowen, who represented the dad, said there would be no adverse effect on neighbours due to loss of light or privacy, while five neighbours objected along with Llanelli Town Council.

Matthew Williams
The neighbourhood where Williams lives, named for golfer Jack Nicklaus. (Wales News)

However, councillors of Carmarthenshire Council’s planning committee passed the plans.

Committee member Cllr Kevin Madge said: “If he had done things properly at the beginning, maybe we would not be where we are today.

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“A lot of people have paid a lot of money for them properties. I can understand why they are angry.

“On the other hand it's very hard for us to turn it down.”

Cllr John Prosser said he had been sent complaints about the garden row and said: “I don't think the local residents are ‘Nimbys’ – there has been lots of development at Pentre Nicklaus.”

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